


When Where and How to Love

by DotDWizard



Category: Amar a Muerte (TV), Juliantina - Fandom
Genre: Comedy, Cute Kids, F/F, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Jealousy, Love, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:08:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 45
Words: 163,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26603506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DotDWizard/pseuds/DotDWizard
Summary: Juliana Valdés is an acclaimed basketball player with a dark past and a reputation as a womanizer. When she is recruited by the New York Liberty WNBA team her dreams are finally coming true.  Life is good!... Until she has a run-in with a blonde, bossy, idiot that is going to change her life forever.Valentina Carvajal is one of the most recognized, famous and demanding photographers in New York. She has everything she ever wanted. But is she really happy?___________________________I want to clarify that this story is not mine, the original story is from the author "Alllove"This is my translation of the adaption by @Queens_JV (with permission!) all credits to both talented writers.Hope you enjoy.Dot xx
Relationships: Camila Cabello & Lauren Jauregui, Valentina Carvajal & Juliana Valdés, Valentina Carvajal/Juliana Valdés
Comments: 77
Kudos: 333





	1. 1. Be careful where you walk... or run!

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Cuando Donde Y Como Diga El Amor](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/689176) by @Queens_JV. 



** Washington - WNBA Draft **

"And the Number one signing of 2019 for the New York Liberty team is... Juliana Valdés!" It was announced between screams of excitement in the room.

"I cannot believe it! They chose me, they chose me!" Juliana was in shock, she couldn't believe it, despite being sure that she was the player of the moment, no one could deny it, but deep down she had a little bit of doubt, a doubt that was quickly extinguished when she heard her name.

"JULIANA CONGRATULATIONS! YOU DID IT!" Cristina, her manager, ran towards her to hug her.

Six years had passed since Juliana had left New York to go to London to do what she loved most, play basketball. The sport had become her only refuge, the only constant in her life since the death of her parents. She graduated in the English capital and was quickly hired by one of the best clubs, where she demonstrated her skill, winning all the tournaments and awards available. And now after six years she was returning to the city that held so many of her memories and ghosts.

"Thanks, ooof!" She said between the tight arms of her manager. "Thanks Cris. CRIS! Let go, you're suffocating me! I'm going to need these lungs to give this new team a championship, and from what I've seen of their previous season, they need it!" She laughed.

"Calm down rock star, they don't know you in New York yet. You're going to have to work your ass off, but you already know that..."

"Excuse me," she was interrupted by a lady in her forties dressed in a sports outfit with a rather serious expression on her face. "Juliana Valdes, I am Arizona Robbins, your new coach."

"Oh! Yes, I know who you are, this is Cristina, my manager..."

"I just need you to know, that I expect you on my court to begin training in one week. Despite the fact that you have won a few small awards on other teams, that will not secure your position on my team! You are going to have to work your butt off Valdés, I want that to be clear, VERY clear," she turned and left, leaving Juliana and her manager looking at each other.

"I told you Juliana, this is not going to be easy."

"I never thought it would be, plus I like a challenge!" She said with a wink. "Shall we go? Tonight, I am CELEBRATING!"

"Okay, but tell your 'friends' or whatever you want to call the girls you usually spend the night with, not to 'CELEBRATE' too much! Tomorrow we are going to New York very early. And don't give me that smile. You know what I'm talking about!"

"Yes 'MOM!' I promise I'll behave with my 'friends'!" Replied the basketball player laughing and hugging her manager. 

** New York - Valentina's Apartment **

"DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE MY WHITE DIOR SHIRT IS?" Shouted the sexy blonde from her bedroom.

"What is wrong with this idiot now?" Lauren asked Camila. They were both sitting on the sofa in the living room watching the whirlwind that is Valentina Carvajal. She had been yelling at them for more than two hours and cursing anything that came to mind.

"What's wrong with her? The same as always, she is nervous because tomorrow she has a 'very important' meeting and she needs her favourite shirt." Camila explained to her girlfriend.

"DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE MY WHITE DIOR SHIRT IS? LAUREN! HAVE YOU SEEN MY WHITE DIOR SHIRT? I SWEAR IF YOU DARED TO WEAR IT, YOU WILL MEET A VERY ANGRY CARVAJAL!" 

"Wow... I've never met her before!" Lauren commented, making Camila laugh.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO LAUGHING AT? DON'T YOU HAVE YOUR OWN HOUSE? INSTEAD OF HELPING ME, YOU ARE SITTING THERE LAUGHING AT ME! I NEED MY LUCKY SHIRT TO CLOSE THE CONTRACT TOMORROW, AND NOT THE..."

"CALM DOWN DUMB BLONDE! IF YOU KEEP YELLING AT ME LIKE THAT, I AM GOING TO GO ALL MEXICO ON YOUR BIG ASS!"

"HAHAHA LADY BREAST SURGERY, YOU NO LONGER SCARE ANYONE!"

"LOOK VALENTINA..."

"Okay girls!" Camila interrupted, "Lern, do not fight with Valentina, she is nervous and Valen your shirt must be with your clean clothes because if I remember correctly, you used it for your photo session last week." 

"Oh, yeah! That's right! Thank you, Mila, you are so helpful!" She gave her a hug, "Unlike others!" She looked at Lauren and went in search of the garment. 

"Shut up Carvajal, apparently Sara hasn't been very good in bed lately because you are constantly in a mood!" She lowered her voice so only Camila would hear her, "And by the way, where is the blood-sucking vampire?"

"I HEARD YOU LAUREN!" Valentina who had entered the room again with her white shirt in hand, had heard the Latina and came out to defend her current girlfriend, "Sara, MY GIRLFRIEND, is not a blood-sucking vampire, she had a very important show today or something like that, I think."

Valentina and Sara had been girlfriends for a year and a half, they had met in a photo session in which Sara was the model and Valentina the photographer. Valentina Carvajal was one of the most recognised, famous and demanding photographers in New York. She had graduated with honours from the college of art and design. Her parents had set her up in a very luxurious apartment in Manhattan while she was studying, they had even sent her money to support her through college, which she no longer needed thanks to her current fame.

Reaching the top had not been easy for Valentina, she was a single mother with a young daughter in a big city. It had been scary in the beginning; however, she had the help and support of her two best friends and her parents to get ahead. Today she could say that she had everything she ever wanted, Valentina Carvajal could say she was happy, but... Was she really? 

"OK... OK... ARE YOU LISTEN TO ME?" Lauren shouted waving her arms in front of her face.

"Hmmm... Yeah, Laur, what were you saying? Sorry I was thinking about... mmm Sara." Valentina lied a little. 

"I was wondering if you've heard anything from Kara and your parents? I miss the dwarf running around the apartment." 

"Yes, I spoke to them a while ago, she spent an hour telling me EVERYTHING she had done during the day, by God that girl never gets tired! My parents no longer know how to entertain her."

"Well, remember they are in Colorado, there's not much to do there." Lauren added.

"Well, I know that, but Kara is just enjoying spending some time with her grandparents. Girls, I need to go to bed, tomorrow is going to be a very important day for me." Valentina gave her friends a quick hug. "Good night and can you please make sure the door is closed tight when you leave?"

** New York - Juliana's new apartment 9:30am **

"Wow Cris, you are showing off! This apartment is huge and look at that view!"

"I knew you would love it, well, I have to say goodbye, my plane leaves in an hour," said Cris looking at her watch. "Hey Juli, you know you can call me whenever you want? I don't think you will have any problems, I've already arranged everything, you just have to win games, which should be easy for you."

"Oh yeah, easy! Around thirty points per game should suffice, don't you think?" Juliana's ironic remark came with a raised eyebrow, she knew settling into this new team would not be easy at all. "Well, I'll walk you out, I am going to go for a run."

"Running Juliana? Already? Would it not be a better idea to take a break?"

"Rest? No! That's what death is for, come on, move, move! Who knows how many girls in tight leggings I am missing!" Juliana joked as they left the apartment, while Cristina rolled her eyes.

** New York - Same time - Five blocks from Juliana's apartment **

"OH GOD! I'm late! Damn the alarm that didn't go off, damn the barista who was slow making my coffee, damn the car that didn't start and damn the blocks that I have to walk to my studio because I can't get a damn taxi in this damn city!" A very grumpy Valentina was cursing while she was practically running to her studio.

When they were both turning the corner... 

WATCH OUT!

Folders, wallets, iPod's, Coffee...


	2. 2. An Unidentified flying Blonde Object

When they were both turning the corner... 

"WATCH OUT!"

Folders, wallets, iPod's, Coffee...

"AAAAAHH! SHIT, IT BURNS, IT BURNS!" Valentina shouted as she tried to shake off the coffee that was now soaking into her lucky shirt. "LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE! LOOK AT MY SHIRT!"

"Hey, calm down, calm down, I'm sorry..."

"WHAT?! I WILL NOT CALM DOWN! ARE YOU BLIND OR WHAT?" The blonde was now in a terrible mood.

"Okay, shh! Calm down, it is not so bad it is just a spot," defended the athlete who looked with amazement at the scene the blonde had just made.

"A SPOT? A SPOT? DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A SPOT TO YOU? DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THIS SHIRT COSTS? DO YOU NOT RECOGNISE THIS FACE? DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO YOU ARE TALKING TO?"

"Whoa, excuse me, I'm sorry I didn't realise I was talking to the FUCKING QUEEN OF ENGLAND!" She answered while making a mocking bow.

"Well, since you're so clever, tell me what do I do now? I have a very important business meeting and I cannot present myself with this huge stain on my clothes, it's not funny! STOP LAUGHING!" She went crazy when she saw that the brunette had a mocking smile on her face.

"Okay look, I just thought of an idea, listen well... _Step one:_ return to your house,  
S _tep two:_ you get changed, do you hear me? You get changed!" Juliana continued making fun of the blonde.

"Ahh... but how clever you are!" Valentina took a deep breath. "DON'T YOU REALISE I AM IN A HURRY? I AM VALENTINA CARVAJAL, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PHOTOGRAPHERS IN NEW YORK. I HAVE MAGAZINES LINING UP TO WORK WITH ME AND TODAY I HAVE TO CLOSE AN IMPORTANT DEAL. I NEED MY LUCKY SHIRT AND..."

"Okay, relax famous lady, come with me." Juliana said as she grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her into the store in front of them.

"What are you doing? I have to go, I'm late, and by the look your outfit, I don't think you can afford any of the clothes in this shop, you better let me do it!"

"OH MY GOD! Oh my God" She lowers her voice because she noticed that the employees were staring at her, "Do you ever shut up? You choose something that works for you, then take it to the fitting room and change. I'll take care of the rest, okay?" Juliana told her, she had already lost her patience with the self righteous blonde.

"What? Just choose something you say? Like something from this shop could replace my lucky shirt!" Said the angry blonde staring at the brunette.

"Well, let's see. How about this?" She showed her a very fine white shirt.

"NO."

"No? Well okay, what about this?" This time it was a black shirt with sleeves.

"Definitely not." Valentina answered without even looking at the shirt.

"And this one?" She asked, but in reality, was not even holding a garment.

"No."

"OK, you're not even looking!" The blonde had awakened the beast, "You've become very tiresome," said Juliana, while pulling her arm and pushing her into the fitting room. "Put on this shirt, it is similar to the one you have on and voila, we're done." She left the small cubicle, leaving the blonde with her mouth open about to protest.

"THIS SHIRT DOESN'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE MY SHIRT, THIS SHIRT IS, IS, IS..." she complained as she put it on, "Wow... it's perfect, it fits me perfectly!" She came out of the fitting room, "Hey who would have thought that someone like you would have a good eye." She looked around searching for the brunette without luck, "Excuse me miss, have you seen the brunette who came in with me?" Valentina asked one of the girls who worked in the store.

"Which one? The very pretty brunette, with an ass that makes you want to...?"

"Eh, okay, don't over do it, have you seen her or not?" Valentina asked the employee with a pout.

"Well yeah, she left. She paid for the shirt and left."

** Juliana's Apartment 11:00am **

"Don't you know who I am? I am Valentina Carvajal blah blah blah blah." Juliana repeated as she entered her apartment ready to take a shower. "I wonder how many more crazy women there are on these streets!"

Her thoughts were interrupted by her cell phone.

"Hmmm... Who will it be?" She wondered as she looked that the screen of her mobile which only read _'Brunette girl_ _from pub'._ "Hello brunette!"

"Hello Beautiful! Do you remember me?"

"Mmmm yes, yes, of course, you are the girl I met in the Pub that time." Juliana was cautiously vague.

"Yes, well done, I was wondering if we could see each other tonight?"

"You just have to tell me where and when baby." Juliana answered with a very mischievous smile on her face. 

That's right, one more. Another girl who fell into the arms of the athlete. She never learned their names, she never spent more than one night, she never made love, just sex, it was always just sex. In Europe, Juliana had dated all kinds of girls, famous, not famous, athletes, models, architects, etc, etc. Her reputation as a womaniser was known to all and yet no one denied her. 

"Okay, see you later, bye." She ended the call once she had all the necessary data. "Marisa, Marisa, Marisa," she repeated. "Her name is Marisa, don't forget it Juliana!" She told herself, but this time giving herself little blows to her forehead. "Luckily her name is not Valentina Carvajal the famous photographer blah blah blah," an image of the blonde with the blue eyes reappeared in her head as she got into the shower. "Now Juliana, concentrate... Marina, Marina, no, no, it wasn't. Martita, Martita, no, no, argh what was it?" 

** Valentina's photography studio 1:00pm **

"Very good gentlemen, it goes without saying that I demand the best from you, and in return you will also get the best from me." Valentina shook hands with several gentlemen in suits as they left the room, "See you soon."

"INES, INES, GET ME AN ASPRIN URGENTLY!" The photographer demanded of her assistant.

"Here you go Valentina. Can you explain what happened this morning? Why were you so late? I didn't know how to entertain your guests."

"What happened? What happened? Do really you want to know? A fool with a muscular body, a beautiful smile and spectacular legs, thinks she can run around the city without looking in front of her!" She explained as she moved from one side of her desk to the other collecting and ordering her papers. 

"Beautiful smile, spectacular legs? What are you talking about, Valentina, can you explain better?" Demanded Ines.

"Nothing, nothing, Ines, leave it. Any news? Were there any calls? Did Kara or my parents call?"

"No, they didn't call, the only one who called was Sara, and she said she would be waiting for you at the usual restaurant for lunch." Said her assistant as she inspected her notebook. 

"FOR LUNCH YOU TELL ME? FOR LUNCH? But Ines, how are you only telling me this now? Lunch is nearly over! My God, Sara is going to kill me!" She grabbed her things and left the studio. 

** Through the streets of Manhattan, near Valentina's studio **

"Okay, where is a good place to get some vegetarian food around here?" Juliana wondered as she looked around to see what she could find. 

When turning suddenly...

WATCH OUT!

This time no objects flew, but a blonde who Juliana recognised and remembered very well, flew through the air. 


	3. 3. Ankles, Ice and Anti-inflammatories

Juliana quickly got up from the ground and ran to help Valentina, who had taken the worst of the collision.

"Hey, are you okay? Let me help you," said the brunette approaching the blonde.

Valentina didn't know what had happened, she raised her head... "YOU? YOU AGAIN! ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME? ARE YOU TRYING TO KIDNAP ME TO ASK FOR MONEY, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT! POLICE, POLICE!" The blonde screamed from the ground. "HELP, HEMMM," she couldn't continue because the basketball player's hand was now covering her mouth.

"NOW, NOW. CALM DOWN, RELAX!" Juliana tried to stop her, but it was difficult because Valentina would not stop struggling.

"AUCHHH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU BIT ME! AUCHH!"

"IF YOU HAD NOT COVERED MY MOUTH, I WOULD NOT HAVE BITTEN YOU!" Valentina defended herself.

"IF YOU HAD NOT STARTED SCREAMING LIKE A BANSHEE, I WOULD NOT HAVE COVERED YOUR MOUTH! Also I do NOT want to kidnap you, nor am I following you! And IF, listen well, IF I had wanted to kidnap you, I would return you in half an hour, because you are UN-BER-A-BLE!"

"Pfffff, you wish you were lucky enough to spend more than half an hour with me! ARE YOU GOING TO STAND THERE LIKE FOOL OR ARE YOU GOING TO HELP ME UP?" Valentina asked indignantly.

"Fine, come on, give me your hand."

The blonde squeezed her hand as she tried to stand up.

"AYYYY AUCHHH!" Valentina complained and fell back to the ground, but this time more gently.

Juliana tried to slow her fall. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"OKAY? WELL NO, I AM NOT! BUT APPARENTLY, I HAVEN'T BEEN SINCE I BUMPED INTO YOU THIS MORNING!"

 _Why did I want to have lunch outside? I could be calm sitting in my apartment eating a delivery and watching TV, but no, no Juliana, you had to go out to eat! And now meet this blonde again with her intimidating blue eyes and that little raised eyebrow that can raise the dead._ Juliana's thoughts were interrupted by another scream.

"ARE YOU GOING TO STAND THERE WITH THAT GOOFY FACE ALL DAY, OR ARE YOU GOING TO CALL A TAXI TO TAKE ME HOME?" Valentina demanded as she tried to stand up, but again without success and screams of pain, "AUCHHH it hurts."

"Okay, let me look at your ankle, you must have twisted it," Juliana said as she crouched down and grabbed the blonde's foot.

"No, you're not a doctor, are you? Why don't you do something useful and get me a taxi?"

Tired of the blonde's protests, Juliana took Valentina's face and forced her to look at her. "LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME!" The startled blonde found Juliana's face. "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. I am going to look at your foot and you're going to relax and stay quiet while I do it, OK?"

"Mmrmr," Valentina muttered something incomprehensible.

"I said OK?"

"Ok," she answered very softly so that Juliana could barely hear her.

Delicately the brunette took Valentina's foot, she removed the boot she was wearing, then the sock and very gently began to inspect her foot.

"Does this hurt?" She asked as she bent her foot inwards.

"No," she answered flatly.

"And this?" Juliana moved her foot outwards.

"AUUUUU IT HURTS, IT HURTS!" This time it did hurt.

"Hmm, yeah, you've twisted your ankle. But don't worry, it's nothing serious. With a little ice and some anti-inflammatories, you will be as good as new."

"Don't worry you say? And how am I supposed to walk three blocks home to get the ice and take the blessed anti-inflammatories?"

"Three blocks you say?" Juliana asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, what are you hard of hearing now too? Three fucking blocks!" Valentina answered while inspecting her foot.

"Come on." Juliana said confidently as she bent down to try and lift Valentina.

"WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Come on princess, I will carry you to your house." Juliana tried again to lift Valentina who was putting up a fight.

"ARE YOU CRAZY OR WHAT? You and I are not going anywhere. Or at least I'm not going anywhere on top of you!"

Juliana was tired, twice in the same day this blonde had awakened the beast.

"STOP IT! EITHER YOU ALLOW ME TO TAKE YOU OR I LEAVE YOU HERE!" She said as she bent down and with great strength, lifted the blonde.

"LOWER ME, LOWER ME NOW! I DEMAND YOU!" Valentina tried to get rid of Juliana, but without success because the other girl kept walking. "PUT ME DOWN!" She tried again.

"Look QUEEN OF ENGLAND, I'm not going to put you down, so you better collaborate and let me do this because the faster I do it, the faster I can get rid of you!"

"BUT..." she tried to protest again.

"BUT NOTHING, YOU SHUT UP I DON'T WANT TO LISTEN TO YOU ANYMORE."

"But..." she tried again.

"WHAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? I DON'T WANT TO LISTEN TO YOU!"

"YOU ARE GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION!" This time Valentina made herself heard.

Juliana paused, turned around and started walking without being able to hide her shame. "Well, you are authorised to speak only and EXCLUSIVELY to tell me how to get to your house."

"Blah blah blah!" Valentina teased from the brunette's neck, since Juliana had lifted her like a bride entering her room on her wedding night.

"I heard you, making fun is also talking and I said no talking!"

For three blocks Valentina only spoke to tell Juliana where to turn and where to stop, but nothing more.

"This is it here." The blonde announced. "Can you put me down now?"

"No. Open up. I'll take you up. I'm sure you live on a high floor and I will not let you walk a step and SHHHH no arguing!" Juliana was already anticipating because she saw the blonde open her mouth to say something.

Valentina took the key out of her bag, opened the door, and directed the brunette to her apartment. Juliana without saying anything began to climb the stairs until she reached the door of her apartment.

The blonde looked at Juliana to release her without daring to say anything, but the athlete motioned for her to open the door. To which Valentina agreed to without protest which impressed the brunette. 

Juliana carried Valentina into the living room, walked her to the sofa and very gently left her on it. 

"Keep your foot up," she ordered. The blonde agreed again to Juliana's surprise. "Okay, now tell me, do you have any anti-inflammatories?" Valentina shook her head. 

"Huh, well, it doesn't matter. For now, you can rest it with ice. You can you call your boyfriend, husband, friend, or whoever to bring you the medication." Juliana informed her. 

"Did you say boyfriend? I don't have... SARA, SARA, OH GOD, SARA!"

"My name is not Sara." Juliana said, confused by the blonde's outburst. 

"NO, NOT YOU! SARA IS MY GIRLFRIEND. OH GOD SARA, I FORGOT ABOUT HER! SHE WAS WAITING FOR ME!"

At that moment, the door of the apartment flew open, revealing a very pretty redhead with a face like thunder.

"VALENTINA WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU? I've been waiting for you for hours!" Sara looked at Juliana. "AND WHO THE HELL IS THIS?"


	4. 4. My Daughter, My Parents

"VALENTINA WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU? I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU FOR HOURS!" Sara looked at Juliana. "AND WHO THE HELL IS THIS?"

"I'm Ju..."

"SARA HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT YOU DO NOT ENTER MY APARTMENT LIKE THIS? THE KEY I GAVE YOU IS ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES!"

"I AM YOUR GIRLFRIEND AND I WILL ENTER THIS HOUSE WHENEVER I WANT TO! DO YOU HEAR ME? BESIDES WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO, HUH? JUST WAIT UNTIL MISS CARVAJAL DECIDES TO APPEAR?"

While the couple, who were not well matched in Juliana's opinion, continued arguing, the brunette went to the refrigerator, looking for ice. She wrapped it in a cloth she found on the counter and returned to the living room.

"NO SARA, NO. I DO NOT WANT TO GO OUT TO EAT! CAN YOU NOT SEE I HAVE HURT MY FOOT?" The discussion continued.

"Here, put this on." Juliana interrupted, handing the ice to the blonde.

"Thank you." She looked at the redhead again. "IF YOU ARE AS HUNGRY AS YOU SAY, YOU SHOULD'VE EATEN BY YOURSELF, YOU HAVE DONE IT BEFORE!"

"ALONE? DO YOU KNOW HOW EMBARRASSED I FELT WHEN EVERYONE REALISED I HAD BEEN STOOD UP! I AM A RECOGNISED MODEL VALENTINA! NOBODY STANDS ME UP!"

Quietly, Juliana took advantage of the moment and went slowly towards the door. She took the handle and turned to look at the blonde, "Goodbye Valentina," she said softly so no one would hear her and without waiting for a response, left the photographer's apartment.

"IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE TYRA BANKS, I'M NOT GOING TO GO TO LUNCH WITH YOU! CAN YOU TRY TO UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE HURT MY FOOT AND CANNOT WALK! YOU HAVE NOT EVEN ASKED HOW I AM! IT'S ALWAYS ALL ABOUT YOU! IF IT WERE NOT FOR HER..." she raised her head looking for the girl who had brought her home, but nothing. "She left... she left again."

"Who left?" Sara asked, while not paying attention to her girlfriend at all, but instead had started to scroll through her phone.

"Her, the brunette." Valentina looked around her apartment with her eyes waiting for Juliana to appear by magic.

"Well, if... you're... Okay..." The model changed the conversation. "The girls just text me. Do you want to go out dancing tonight?"

"Dancing? What are you talking about Sara?" It was difficult for her to return to the conversation since her head was still on the athlete.

"Do you want to go out dancing tonight?" She asked again.

 _Oh my God!_ Thought Valentina. "No Sara, I don't want to go out dancing. I'm going to take the afternoon off because I don't think I can move much, and I have to work early tomorrow. And I also want to talk to my daughter today."

"Okay, but you don't mind if I go out right?" The redhead asked although it seemed like she was going to do it anyway.

"No Sara, it doesn't bother me, you can go."

"Ok love, then I'll see you later okay?" She gave her a short kiss and left as quick as she entered.

"Pfffff," sighed the blonde. "What are you doing with your life Valentina? What are you doing?" She said to herself as she grabbed the ice and put it back on her foot.

While the ice settled on Valentina's inflamed ankle, on a nearby street in New York a brunette was muttering to herself that she would never return to this part of the city ever again.

** Same night in a city bar **

"Hey, can you serve a beer for the lady and a Diet Coke for me?" Juliana asked the bartender.

"Diet Coke? Do not tell me that you are on a diet, because with the great body you have, I would not believe you." Juliana's companion said while caressing her arm.

"No, no, not on a diet, it's... we don't need to talk about me, but tell me about you Marina."

"Marisa you mean?"

"Well Marina, Marisa, for an S we're not going to complicate it." She tried to get out of the confusion by showing her companion a smile that never failed and this time was no different. The other woman started to talk.

"Well let's see, where do I start..."

Juliana nodded her head as she watched the woman's mouth move, but she didn't hear a single word she was saying.

_How will Valentina's ankle be? I could have stayed all day holding the ice on her foot, her skin felt so smooth. Oh my God, what skin! And her aroma? By God, what a scent! And their eyes? What eyes! I swear that with one look at them I could face Captain America, the one with the hammer, the Hulk, Iron Man and the Black Widow all by myself. No, with_ _Black_ _Wi_ _dow I wouldn't fight, I'd think of better things to do..._

"Juliana, Juliana! Are you listening to me?"

"Eh... yeah. Yeah, of course."

"Alright, what was I talking about?"

"Well okay, you caught me. I wasn't listening." Juliana admitted.

"I think I better go," the woman got up from the chair and started to walk away.

"Wait, wait!" Juliana reached out to grab her by the arm. "I wasn't listening because I was distracted by your beauty!" Juliana smiled mischievously.

Marisa stared at the brunette while in her head the brunette was counting. _One, two and three... BOOM a smile and I have her_.

"Hmm okay, but what do you think if we continue our talk in my apartment."

Yes, she knew it, it never fails.

"You just have to tell me where and when baby."

** Meanwhile in Valentina's apartment **

"And you let her go out dancing with her friends?" Lauren asked her as she grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat on the couch next to Valentina, then grabbed Camila and pulled her on top.

"Yes Lolo. I prefer that she goes out with her friends than come over here to annoy me. I have not been in a good mood today." Answered the blonde while drinking her own beer.

"Okay, well, tell us about the Supergirl V," this time it was Camila who, moving impatiently on top of Lauren, insisted that Valentina continue to tell them everything about the brunette who had carried her through the streets of Manhattan.

"Supergirl? I would rather say super irritable, super bossy, super idiot, super..."

_**Ring, Ring.** _

"Pufff," _saved by the bell_ _!_ thought Valentina.

"It's Kara!" She said while looking at the screen of her cell phone, "shhhhh, stop making noise!" She scolded her two friends, who had done nothing but annoy her since they arrived with the anti-inflammatories.

"Kara honey, hello!"

"Mommy, mommy, do you know what I did with Grandpa Leon today? We went to the park and then we went to the school where you went. Grandma Lucia showed me the photo where you, Aunt Lern and Aunt Cam were carrying a trophy so big that Grandpa says it could reach God's house in heaven. Is that true mommy?"

"Of course not honey, your grandfather must not be taking his medications again, but the trophy was big." Valentina had tried to explain to her six year old daughter about the awards they had won as Cheerleaders.

"Mommy I miss you a lot and Hippo misses you too." 

"I miss you too darling." A tear rolled down Valentina's cheek. She had never spent so much time away from her daughter.

"Do you miss Hippo mom?"

"Of course honey. I miss Hippo too," she laughed as she remembered how attached her daughter was to the little stuffed hippopotamus her aunts had given her when she was three years old.

It had been a very difficult decision for Valentina to let Kara go to Colorado for spring break with her grandparents, but her parents had convinced her that it was for the best as the girl's first semester at school had not been a good one. Valentina had been summoned by the principal and Kara's teacher to break the news that her daughter had a hard time keeping up with the other students. Kara did not want to do any extra activities and to make matters worse, it was difficult for her to make friends. She had practically no other friends apart from her mother and aunts, well, and Hippo of course.

That is why Valentina had accepted that the trip to Colorado was the best for the girl to relax, while she tried to work out what she was going to do. She had already spoken with Lucho, Kara's father, who lived in Los Angeles and she had consulted with Lauren and Camila. They all agreed that they would try to help Kara and wait to see how she was doing in the next semester before taking more drastic measures.

"Mommy, is it true that I'll be back home in a few days?"

"Yes sweetie, you have to come home in a few day and prepare all your things for school." Valentina said, trying to gauge her daughters reaction.

"Oh okay," the girl's voice had lost all of its enthusiasm. Valentina was concerned when she heard Kara's sad and muffled voice.

"Hey, your aunt Camz wants to talk to you," Valentina passed the phone to Camilla hearing how excited Kara was to talk to her aunt.

A worried Valentina sat down next to Lauren.

"She doesn't want to know anything about school, right?" Asked the Latina.

"No Lolo, nothing, she doesn't want to know anything. And worst of all, I don't know what's wrong with her, she doesn't tell me anything. I don't know what to do." Valentina was really worried.

"Well V, we said we would wait to see if Kara improves next semester. So, let's wait."

"Yes, we will give her more time," she closed her eyes and sighed.

** The next morning in the apartment of Marisa or Marina or whatever. **

_"Miss Juliana Miss Juliana wake up." The housekeeper insisted._

_"Cleo what's up? It_ _'s_ _five in the morning_ _. Have my parents arrived yet?" She asked while looking at the clock._

_"_ _Miss Juliana something happened, you need to know."_

_"_ _TELL ME CLEO, TELL ME, YOU'RE MAKING ME NERVOUS!"_

_"Your parents..."_

_"WHAT HAPPENED_ _?_ _TELL ME!"_

_"_ _They had an accident on the road."_

_"_ _NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_ _"_

—————————

Julianna woke up.

"Juliana, Juliana! What happened? You had a nightmare."

"I have to go." She grabbed her clothes quickly and left as if Lord Voldemort himself were chasing her.

"Wait, when will we see each other again?" The woman asked from the bed.

"Eh... I don't know, I'll call you Martita, don't worry."

"WHAT? MY NAME MA-RI–SA!"

And without pausing for a second to answer her, Juliana ran out of the apartment with the memory of her parents in her head.

_______________________________

This story is not mine, the original story is from the author "Alllove"

This is just a translation of the adaption by @Queens_JV all credits to both talented writers.


	5. 5. Supergirl to the Rescue

** New York Liberty Stadium Juliana's first training day. **

"Wow, I mean, wow. This stadium is immense." Juliana had been amazed by the magnitude of what she saw. Her eyes were not big enough to observe everything around her.

Today was the first day of training, she decided to arrive a few hours early. Not only did Juliana want to get to know the court, but she also felt the need to try and reconnect with the sport she loved so much. Basketball has always helped her to unwind, to forget her nightmares and make her feel alive again. Now with the ball under her arm, she took to the court and began to dribble the ball while jogging from one side to the other.

Juliana was unaware she had an audience. Two people were watching her from the box. "What do you think of her coach?" The team president asked Arizona.

"Hmm... she has a good throw, she moves fast, and has an impeccable technique. She has been shooting for hours and she doesn't seem tired at all. I like her."

"Do you think she can give us a championship?" The executive asked again without taking his eyes off the player.

"Harry, I bet my uterus, this season Juliana Valdés is going to give us the trophy we need. Trust me. I have an eye."

Meanwhile the other players arrived, and began to inspect the brunette.

The team captain was the first to approach her.

"Valdes! I see that you finally decided to leave that league of losers and come and try your luck with the best."

Juliana did not stop her throws, but without stopping moving she answered.

"Well, according to last season, this team was definitely not the best. But don't worry, I came to fix that!" She winked and went in search of some water.

"Valdés wait!" She grabbed her by the arm, "I warn you, this is MY team, I am not going to allow you to come and take away what is mine!"

"Calm yourself Torres, you can relax. I have only come to win trophies." Juliana stated before walking to the centre of the court to listen to the coach.

"I'm going to be watching you very closely Valdés," the captain whispered as she passed her.

** Kara's School. Home Time**

"Lauren, what are you doing here?" Valentina asked when she saw her friend standing at the school gate.

"What am I doing here? Today is Thursday, it's my turn to collect Kara."

"But you collect her on Mondays and Wednesdays, Camz on Fridays and I collect her on Tuesdays and Thursdays."

"I'm pretty sure that on the piece of paper you gave me it said that I collect her on Tuesdays and Thursdays."

"God, how stubborn you are. It's the other way around!" Argued Valentina.

"Stubborn my ass Carvagay. In any case, the idiot is you!"

"Well, it is good that you are here, now your niece and I will not have to take a taxi. And, I also need you to take me to the garage to pick up my car."

"Yeah, no problem! I have nothing better to do anyway. Lauren Jauregui is not a busy lawyer, nor is she getting married in six months with a wedding to prepare, nor has she a fiancée who is driving her crazy! Do you know Camz wants me to choose the colour of a fucking suit for the damn cat to wear! I swear that every time Camz and I are affectionate that cat appears with those evil eyes. He looks at me as if he wants to eat me! The animal is a demon!"

"If she has you crazy Jauregui, it is because you are WHIPPED!... Oh, how will Mila react when I tell her how you talked about poor Tlacoyo?" The blonde mocked.

"You know I am not afraid of you dumb blonde?" Lauren looked at her. "But you won't actually tell her though, right?" Pleaded the green-eyed Latina.

"SHE HAS YOU WHIPPED JAUREGUI! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT YOU WOULD BECOME SUCH A WELL DOMESTICATED CUBAN!" Valentina laughed.

"Yeah, yeah. I would not laugh so hard, at least my girlfriend remembers my birthday!" This time it was the green-eyed woman who attacked.

"Hey, I've already told you a thousand times that Sara did not forget my birthday. She got confused about the date!" It seemed like Valentina was trying to convince herself more than her friend.

"Shh, here comes Kara," Lauren made a gesture with her head indicating her niece was coming. Valentina watched as her daughter approached them slowly with a sad look.

"Hello mini V. How was your day?" Her aunt tried to cheer her up.

"I guess it was okay, can we go now?"

"Yes, of course, let's go." Valentina took her daughter's hand.

"We're going to drop you off at Aunt Mila's dance studio and then your Aunt Lolo and I are going to go get our car, okay?"

"Yes Mommy, whatever you want." Kara answered with her sad little face. Valentina and Lauren exchanged concerned glances.

** New York Liberty Stadium ** ****

Hours after training. Juliana was still shooting at the hoop when she was interrupted.

"VALDES!" Her coach called her.

Juliana approached her, "Coach Robbins."

"I think you should go rest, you did very well today and enough is enough."

"Just a couple more pitches and I promise I'll go to the showers coach."

"Ok, ok! Just a couple, I don't want that arm to wear out," the coach warned her and left.

Juliana stayed in the middle of the court closed her eyes and sighed.

 _"Look Juliana look, the New York stadium. If you keep playing like this_ _,_ _one day you will_ _get_ _there my star." - a very handsome man used to say to his daughter._

 _"_ _I promise dad. For you, for mom and for me I_ _will achieve it."_

"Pfffff," Juliana sighed after the memory. "Can you see me Mom, Dad, I made it. For you and for me," a tear ran down her face as she left the court.

** Lauren's car on the way to the  ** ** garage **

"Are you sure it's around here Valen?" Asked the Latina while trying to figure out which street they needed to turn onto.

"For the fourteenth time Lauren, yes I'm sure. Turn down this street and keep going straight."

**PUMMMM!**

A loud noise from the car scared the two women. Lauren stopped her car and got out to see what had happened, Valentina followed.

"AHHH! NOOOO! IT CAN'T BE! WE'VE A FLAT TYRE VALENTINA!" An angry green-eyed woman kicked her car.

"CALM DOWN LAUREN! That will not help! You just need to change it and we can go." Valentina reasoned.

"You just need to change it and that's it!" Lauren mocked her. "Do you think that if I knew how to change a wheel I would be making such a fuss? The closest I've been to a tyre in my life is when Camz gave me the fucking Pirelli calendar!"

"But it can't be that difficult," Valentina approached the back of the car.

"Hey, be careful Camz left the floor polish for the dance floor in..."

"MY SHIRT!!! LAUREEEEN! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THIS IN HERE? I'VE STAINED EVERYTHING!"

"WELL I WAS TRYING TO TELL YOU! BUT YOU DID NOT LISTEN! DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING ELSE!" She grabbed her arm and took her away from the car. "You're a mess!" Lauren told her friend while Valentina inspected her shirt that was now all dirty and sticky from the liquid.

"IT WAS NOT MY FAULT!" She spoke again when she saw that her friend was about to answer. "We have no other choice. We have to call a tow truck." Valentina said, taking out her cell phone and looking at her shirt in disgust.

Lauren, on the other hand, began to look up and down the street to see if someone could help them.

"Well that's it, in two hours they will be here." Valentina notified her friend who had a face like thunder.

"TWO HOURS? TWO HOURS? DID THEY FALL AND HIT THEIR HEADS? WHAT DO THEY MEAN TWO HOURS? IN TWO HOURS I COULD GO TO FERRARI MYSELF AND BUY A COUPLE OF NEW TYRES!" She was about to keep complaining when she saw a car approaching. "OVER HERE! Valentina there is a car coming! I'm going to wave it down."

Lauren desperately ran out to stop the jeep that was already slowing down. Apparently the driver had every intention of stopping to help them.

When Valentina turned and realised who it was, she couldn't believe it, "IT CAN NOT BE! YOU AGAIN?"

** New York streets - A few minutes before **

_♬ "Boy you got my heartbeat runnin 'away, Beating like a drum and it's coming your way_

_Can't you hear that boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass..." ♬_

Juliana had been singing along with the very loud music until a woman waving her arms caught her attention. Juliana Valdés can NEVER deny help to a damsel in distress!

She got out of her jeep in search of the attractive brunette when she heard that voice. The voice that had been stuck in her head for weeks.

"IT CAN'T BE! YOU AGAIN?" Yep, it was definitely her!

"But look who we have here, if it isn't the Queen of England herself!" Said Juliana before taking a bow.

"I'm sorry, did I missing something?" Asked the Latina.

"Lauren, this..." Valentina gestured to the brunette, "is the woman who on the same day managed to ruin my lucky shirt and also made me twist my ankle!"

"Oh! So you're Supergirl? Lauren Jauregui, pleasure to meet you." She extended her hand to Juliana.

"Wonder Woman! And the pleasure is all mine believe me!" Juliana joked as she smiled at the green-eyed woman.

Valentina tried to break the contact of the girls.

"You can go back to where you came from," she said to the brunette. "And you can call the tow truck again to see if you can get them here in less than two hours!" This time she was addressing her friend.

"Excuse me your majesty, but here I, 'Supergirl'," the nickname made the blonde blush, "have a better idea. I..." pointing to herself, "will change the tyre and you two..." She pointed to the other two women, "will sit in the shade and wait. We can't have royalty damaging her fair complexion, right?" Juliana joked again.

"Look smart ass, we're not going to let you ruin my friend's car, right Lern?" She looked at the green-eyed woman.

"Ah, well... I... do you know how to change a tyre?" She asked the brunette directly.

"I'm not a mechanic, but I know what to do." Juliana said humbly.

"Okay, say no more, the car is all yours." Lauren told her.

"Lauren, what are you doing?" Valentina pulled her away from Juliana to talk.

"Look Valen, she seems to know what she's doing," they both looked at Juliana, who was already taking the tools out of the car and preparing to change the tyre. "I also would prefer that the hottie does it rather than wait another second more..." Valentina was about to protest. "Shut up Valen. I remind you that a sex thirsty woman is waiting for me at home. And your daughter must be hungry by now."

They both walked into the shade and leaned against a wall without losing sight of the brunette.

While Lauren spoke with Camila to explain their delay, Valentina was entertained by her thoughts.

 _'But look at the ass that woman has_ _,'_ she thought as she watched as Juliana bent down. _'_ _Oh, hello! Hello Mr Muscle!'_ Juliana took off the light jacket she was wearing. _'_ _WOW! Defined arms too. What is that on her left arm? Her whole arm is tattooed. Wow! Did it get very hot suddenly? Pfffff! To have those muscles she must work lifting boxes or something. Maybe she works in a supermarket or at a fair. Oh, to be a box...'_

"Let me know when you're tired of looking at the ass of the hottie." Lauren interrupted her with a mischievous smile on her face.

"I'm not looking at anything!" Protested the photographer.

At that moment Juliana was wiping the sweat off her forehead, the other two couldn't help but think about how sexy she looked.

"Yeah, yeah, of course V! Why don't you just admit it?" Lauren pressed her friend without taking her eyes off the athlete.

"Admit what?" Valentina tried not to react to the scene in front of her, which was very difficult because it seemed like something straight out of a fucking porno movie.

"That the Supergirl drives you crazy!"

Valentina turned quickly to look at her friend, "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY? I DON'T..."

"SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOUR INTERESTING CONVERSATION, BUT THE CAR IS READY." Juliana shouted from the car.

Valentina and Lauren got closer. The first still thinking about what her friend had said.

"You should get your tyre fixed as soon as possible." Juliana explained.

"Yes, I will, thank you." said the Latina. "We better go because my friend here..." pointing to the blonde, "stinks of floor polish!"

Juliana looked at Valentina and then her shirt. The embarrassed blonde looked away quickly.

"I can do something about that too," said the brunette as she went to her jeep and opened her training bag to grab a shirt.

"Here," she handed the shirt to Valentina.

"No, it's ok. I'd rather keep mine."

"Hey, don't be so stubborn. You could get sick or stain the car. Take it!" Juliana insisted again. "I promise it's clean."

Valentina grabbed the shirt and went looking for her bag, she turned to look at Juliana. "How much do we owe you?"

"What?" Juliana couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I said, how much do we owe you? Maybe you need money for food or something, I don't know!"

"Do you think I need your money?"

"OK, ok. No need to beg. Well..." she took a $100 bill from her purse. "Here you go," she put the money in her hand. "But, to be clear, you ripped us off!" She turned around and got into the car, leaving a gobsmacked Juliana.

Juliana exchanged glances between the moving car and the $100 bill in her hand.

"CRAZY! ALL WOMEN ARE CRAZY! CRAZY!" She got into her jeep, put on her sunglasses, stepped on the gas and left throwing the $100 bill into the air.

♬ _"Boy you got my heartbeat runnin 'away, Beating like a drum and it's coming your way_

 _Can't you hear that boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass..."_ ♬  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♬ Nicki Minaj - Super Bass ♬


	6. 6. Nobody's Fool!

** One week later - Valentina's Apartment **

"Kara Carvajal! How many times do I have to tell you to be careful when exiting the elevator?" Valentina scolded her daughter while the girl waited for her mother to open the apartment door.

"Yes mom." Kara answered with her already typical sad face that she comes home from school with.

When mother and daughter entered their home, they found Lauren, Camila, Derek, Mariana, Sam and Shane all sitting in the living room. They were all arranged on the sofa and chairs around a small table, that was now covered in envelopes, papers, ribbons and a notebook. It was a mess.

"I'M SORRY... DID YOU DECIDE TO THROW A PARTY IN MY HOUSE AND FORGET TO INVITE ME? Valentina asked her friends. ' _I_ _need_ _to get_ _my apartment_ _key back from Lauren_ _,'_ the blonde thought.

"No, but we have summoned all our friends to help us put together and send out our wedding invitations. We can't do it at home because we don't want Tlacoyo to find out that we aren't inviting his relatives, isn't that right Lolo?" Camila clarified for the blonde.

"Right Camzi Camz," the Latina said and kissed her fiancée, "so stop protesting dumb blonde and sit down, you can help us. And Derek, stop watching television and help!"

"In a minute SATAN! The new Liberty player is coming out to speak now. Apparently she is really impressive. This season we're going to win!" Derek said without taking his eyes off the TV.

"I don't think they'll win anything! They sucked last year! They have an awful team." Sam decided to join the conversation.

"SHUT UP SAM! Your team didn't win anything either!" Lauren defended the Liberty team. The rivalry that the sport caused between these three was already well known, while Lauren and Derek supported Liberty, Sam preferred San Antonio.

"Kara! GO DO YOUR HOMEWORK." Valentina reminded her daughter of her duties.

"Yes mom," the girl answered from her room.

"Have things improved at school?" This time it was Shane who was asking.

"Pffff," sighed Valentina, "I don't know, I don't really know Shane, it's the same, I don't know what to do anymore." Valentina, tired of the issue, grabbed an envelope and began to help her friends.

** At that moment on the television. ** ****

**_"Ladies and gentlemen, silence please so we can begin the press conference!"_ **

The announcer spoke to the journalists in the room.

"KARA ARE YOU DOING YOUR HOMEWORK?" Valentina asked her daughter.

"SHHHHHHHH VALENTINA, let us hear the TV!" The Latina challenged her.

"HEY! I REMIND YOU THAT THIS IS MY HOUSE!" She grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.

"What are you doing?" Derek and Lauren shouted at the same time, but it was the green-eyed one who jumped to take the control from the blonde and turned the TV on again.

"SHHHHHH!" Which incidentally, shut them all up.

**_"With us tonight from the New York Liberty Team we have Coach Arizona Robbins, the team captain, Callie Torres and the new acquisition, and star player of the European league Juliana Valdés"_ **

Applause could be heard in the room, then the hands of journalists shot up, eager to ask questions.

"WHATTT? IT'S HER! BY GOD V, LOOK, LOOK! IT'S HER! IT'S SUPERGIRL!" Lauren elbowed her friend who quickly looked at the screen and was surprised by what she was seeing.

"JULIANA VALDES? STAR PLAYER? How can she be... HOW?" Valentina couldn't believe it.

"SHHHHHH, we can't hear them!" Derek scolded them.

**_"Juliana, Juliana over here."_ **

Shouted a journalist. Juliana looked at him and made a gesture with her head authorising him to ask his question. The brunette did not feel comfortable in these situations.

**_"First of all, I wanted to welcome you back to New York again."_ **

Juliana gave a nervous smile in thanks.

 **_"And secondly, why did you decide to return to this city considering your past here_ ** **_,_ ** **_and what do you expect from your new team?"_ **

Juliana thought for a few seconds before responding.

 **_"I'm not going to talk about my past, the only thing I can tell you is that playing for this team_ ** **_has been_ ** **_something I_ ** **_have_ ** **_wan_ ** **_ted_ ** **_since I was_ ** **_a little girl_ ** **_. It is a dream come true_ ** **_. And_ ** **_I felt that it was a good time and opportunity to return to this city. As for the team. We have been training very hard and I_ ** **_want_ ** **_the best f_ ** **_or_ ** **_all my teammates, and I am sure that_ ** **_together_ ** **_we will_ ** **_be able to achieve some_ ** **_good results."_ **

Another authorised journalist asked a question.

**_"Considering that this team was in last position last year, what do you plan to do to change that?"_ **

Juliana was quick to answer.

 **_"Well, I believe that this is a team sport and I have come to_ ** **_work_ ** **_with my teammates. We will try to improve and hopefully aspire to the championship."_ **

Very diplomatic.

**_"Over here Juliana."_ **

Another journalist called the player's attention.

 **_"What do you have to say about your reputation of_ ** **_womanising_ ** **_and partying? Can you really dedicate yourself to this team while frequenting so many bars at night?"_ **

This question caused murmurs in the conference room.

**_"That question is out of place!"_ **

It was the coach who answered.

**_"The players are entitled to days off to enjoy as they see fit. They know very well what is permitted and what is not. Juliana is no exception to this."_ **

The coach had noticed how tense Juliana became with this question and wanted to avoid any kind of confrontation.

**_"Juliana, what do you think your parents would say if they saw you at this moment?"_ **

Asked a journalist without permission.

This question was the last straw for the brunette, she couldn't sit there any longer, she got up and left the room. But not before giving the journalist a hateful look.

Faced with this situation, the announcer was the one who spoke again.

 **_"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THE CONFERENCE HAS ENDED;_ **  
**_THE PLAYERS MUST RETURN_ **  
**_TO TRAINING_ ** **_."_ **

Murmur of protests were heard in the hall.

** Back in Valentina's apartment **

"VALDÉS, VALDÉS, VAAL-DEES. Where do I know that name from?" Lauren repeated what she had been thinking, the name of the girl sounded very familiar.

"What about it?" Valentina asked still surprised.

"VALDÉS. YES, I KNOW! I know where that last name sounded familiar to me. Macario Valdés, her father, is the one who made these beautiful things," said the Latina clutching her breasts.

"WHAAATTT?" They all asked at the same time.

"Oh my god what stupid friends I have. I have to start getting together with smarter people!" The Latina joked, "Macario Valdés was the plastic surgeon who increased these beauties." At that moment Camila took the opportunity to whisper something in her ear that made the Latina blush.

"Was?" The photographer inquired, "What do you mean, was?"

"Well, according to my father, he and his wife, Guadalupe Valdés, you know the great Broadway actress, had a traffic accident returning from a party and died. It happened a few months after my surgery. So, V, let me tell you, your 'Supergirl' is a fucking millionaire! Her father was one of the most prestigious surgeons in the country and her mother was the fucking star of Broadway and now she's a WNBA star!"

"Millionaire? Did you say millionaire? Oh that woman will not make a fool out of me, she's going to listen to me right now!" Valentina got up, grabbed her things and headed for the stadium, but not before yelling at her friends, "TAKE CARE OF KARA!"

** Minutes later at the stadium **

"Fucking journalists!" ' _Who do they think they are talking about my parents? Why can't they ask about basketball or about the team? No, the only thing_ _s_ _th_ _ey are interested in are_ _who_ _I am_ _sleeping with_ _,_ _how many beers_ _I drink_ _or_ _whatever information they can get_ _abou_ _t my_ _parents._ _'_

After the conference the brunette had become so enraged that the only thing that could calm her down was to grab the ball and go to the court to shoot hoops. And that was exactly what she was doing when...

"YOU! HOW DARE YOU!" A ball flew towards Juliana, ' _again that voice_ _,'_ thought Juliana as she received the ball to her back.

"AUCHHHH, THAT HURT!" She turned to meet a sexy blonde who was aiming another basket ball at her, with a murderous face, like she was about to take on the zombies from Resident Evil.

"LOWER THE WEAPON, I MEAN BALL, NOW!" It didn't work because Juliana had to jump to avoid a new blow.

"ARE YOU CRAZY, DRUNK OR WHAT?" Juliana asked as she kept dodging balls, until she finally reached the blonde and removed the last ball before she could throw it at her.

"VALENTINA, STOP, STOP! DO YOU WANT TO TELL ME WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"I WANT YOU TO EXPLAIN TO ME, BETTER YET, I DEMAND YOU GIVE ME AN EXPLANATION OF WHY THE FUCK YOU MADE YOURSELF LOOK POOR,WHEN CLEARLY YOU ARE NOT! YOU ABUSED MY TRUST AND MY MONEY. YOU KNOW WHAT? I WANT MY $100 BACK!" She showed her the palm of her hand.

Juliana couldn't help finding this angry Valentina totally arousing, despite being a little scared by the blonde's crazy behaviour.

"First of all, calm down, okay? And second, I never said I was poor. Quite the contrary, YOU your majesty are VERY, VERY judgmental and assumed I was poor just because I'm not dressed like a Kardashian. Therefore, it is not my problem what you believed or not." She was still holding the ball she had taken from Valentina and turned to shoot at the hoop without paying attention to her visitor.

' _Ah no, she is not going to ignore me. NO WAY!'_ Thought Valentina, ' _Valentina Carvajal is NEVER but NEVER ignored!'_

"LEAVE THAT AND LISTEN TO ME!" Valentina ordered her and on impulse took the ball out of her hands, Juliana Valdés had just lost the ball!

' _I_ _don't_ _believe it!'_ This time it was Juliana's thoughts, ' _Juliana Valdés NEVER BUT NEVER loses a ball_ _!'_

"GIVE ME THAT!" Juliana protested, she was getting tired of the blonde. Juliana went to get the ball from her, but the blonde was quicker and put it behind her back.

"HEY, HEY! What happened? Aren't you the star player?" Valentina mocked, "Yoo-hoo, look what I have!" She showed her the ball provocatively, "Aren't you the player of the moment?" She stuck out her tongue.

"Very mature of you, your majesty, WATCH OUT!" The player shouted pointing to a spot on the court.

Valentina turned around quickly, at that moment Juliana took advantage and took the ball from her.

"And now who's laughing, ehh? How scared you are. Yoo-hoo! I'm going to teach you a very important rule, never but never turn your back on your defender!" She said provocatively.

"YOU ARE, YOU ARE, YOU ARE..." The blonde was ready to start pulling hair when she saw the brunette's mischievous smile. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE? YOU ARE A THIEF!"

This was the last thing Juliana expected and quickly turned to confront the blonde, she would not let the is one go. "THIEF? ME? DO NOT MAKE ME LAUGH, IN ANY CASE THE THIEF IS YOU, YOU NEVER RETURNED MY T-SHIRT."

"YOUR SHIRT? I BET THAT GRUBBY THING IS NOT WORTH ANYTHING, NOR DO I REMEMBER WHERE I PUT IT!" Valentina lied, because that shirt had become her favourite garment at bedtime.

"IT'S WORTH WHAT IT'S WORTH. AND IN ANY CASE, IT IS MINE AND I DON'T SEE IT, DID YOU BRING IT WITH YOU?" The discussion was getting heated and there was less and less space between them.

"YOU OWE ME $100!" Valentina took a step forward.

"I NEVER ASKED YOU FOR MONEY!" This time Juliana moved forward.

"YOU HINTED AT IT!" Another step.

"PREJUDICED!" Another step.

"CONCEITED!" Another, there was almost no space left.

"STUP..." She was interrupted.

"VALDEEES! What the hell are you still doing here? And who is that barbie who entered the stadium without authorisation?" Again saved by the bell.

"I'm sorry Coach, I just wanted to clear my head after the conference and..." Juliana began to explain.

"And nothing, Valdés. You're going to the locker room right now. Take a shower and go home to rest! You are free until Monday and do not protest. I need you rested for next week!"

"Okay, but I have to finish something first..." she turned around to continue arguing with the photographer, but she had taken advantage of the brunette's distraction and escaped.

"I have to go!" Juliana announced, grabbed her bag and ran off leaving the coach confused.

 _'_ _This is not over!'_ Juliana thought as she ran after Valentina.

** Back in Valentina's Apartment **

Valentina opened the door for the second time that day and was suddenly face to face with an angry Lauren.

"CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE THE HELL YOU'VE BEEN? I called you a thousand times and you didn't answer. We were all worried about you, you IDIOT!" The Latina hugged her friend.

"I was at... no, it doesn't matter where I was, where is my daughter? And Camz? And the others?" Valentina began to question her friend in the hope that she would forget her own questions.

"Kara is in her room waiting for you to arrive to make her dinner because she didn't want me to do it. And Camzi went to buy food for that fucking cat! I swear if it didn't meow, I would mistake it for a cow it is so fat! The others have already left," she explained as she took out her phone to let her friends know that the blonde had appeared. "And don't even think I'm going to forget that you disappeared! You will tell me right now, where you were and what you were doing!" Lauren demanded.

"Not now Lauren, I'm going to prepare dinner for my daughter. KARA COME FOR DINNER!" Valentina changed the subject and moved towards the kitchen.

"I'm coming mommy." Kara said as she ran down the corridor just as the doorbell sounded.

"No NOW Valentina, you tell me right now!" Lauren insisted again trying to get her friend's attention and ignoring the bell.

"Give it up Lauren. I'll tell you later. Who was at the door?"

"What door? I didn't open it. I thought you were going to go." The green-eyed woman shrugged.

"Well if you didn't open it, then who? Oh my God, Kara! How many times have I told you that you should not open the door..." She stopped when she reached the door and found an image that melted her heart.


	7. 7. Juliana this is Kara... and this is Hippo.

\- "If you did you not open it, then who? Oh my God, Kara! How many times have I told you that you should not open the door..." - Valentina stopped when she reached the door and found an image that melted her heart.

Juliana Valdés was on her knees in front of Kara, both looking at each other in fascination. Without saying a word, each inspecting the other.

\- "Hello!" - it was the brunette who broke the ice. – "I'm Juliana and you are?" - The brunette extended her hand to the girl.

\- "Hello." - Kara replied, grabbing the woman's hand. – "My name is Kara and his name is Hippo." - the girl said pointing to her stuffed animal.

\- "Nice to meet you Hippo. What a great name!" - the brunette let go of the little girl's hand to hold one of the hippo's legs and shook it excitedly.

Valentina and Lauren had been admiring the scene from behind.

\- "You are the most beautiful girl I have ever met." - Juliana said to Kara making the little girl blush. – "And you..." - now she was talking to Hippo. – "you are the most beautiful Hippopotamus I have ever known, you are plump ehh?" she rubbed the hippo's belly.

This last comment drew a smile on the faces of the two adults and made the little girl giggle softly.

\- "Everyone says that I am a little reflection of my mother." - these words made the basketball player laugh.

\- "Hmm, I think you're even more beautiful than your mother, and do you know why?" - Juliana approached the girl's ear as if she had a secret to tell her. – "Because your laugh is capable of filling millions of souls."

Kara looked at her and asked. – "Souls? What is a soul?"

\- "The soul is what we have in here." - Juliana touched the girl's chest. – "It makes us feel alive, it makes us feel happy and full. Many people say that laughter is the sound of the soul." - added the brunette.

\- "Ahhhh." - Kara replied. She thought for a second. – "Does Hippo have a soul?" she asked curiously, shaking her hippo.

\- "Well, let's see, let me see." - Kara gave her the stuffed animal, which amazed her mother and aunt since the girl would not let anyone touch her treasure.

Juliana rested her ear on Hippo's belly.

\- "Hmm... yeah, yeah, listen, I can feel it!" - she encouraged Kara to place her ear on the hippo's belly too. – "Do you feel it?" - she asked the girl.

\- "YESSS!" - she answered enthusiastically. She grabbed Hippo and brought him to her mother and aunt so they could listen too. After each one agreed, Kara returned to where Juliana, who had not stopped following her with her eyes.

\- "Do you want to eat with me?" - Kara asked quickly.

After this question, Valentina reacted quickly and hastened to say. – "Kara, I don't think..." - but she was interrupted by the brunette.

\- "I would love to!" - and without waiting for an invitation, she took the girl's hand and went into the house towards the table.

Juliana chose a chair and sat down. Kara thought about her next move, she looked at the other chairs, sat Hippo in the chair next to Juliana and decided to climb up on top of the brunette.

Valentina and Lauren were still stunned by the interaction of Juliana and Kara, and only reacted when the girl shouted.

\- "MAMI! When do we eat?" - Kara asked from Juliana's legs.

\- "Hey Kara, honey, I don't think Juliana is comfortable with you sitting on her." - Valentina said to her daughter when she reached the table.

\- "It's not a problem for me." - Juliana cut in.

Valentina couldn't help but feel a little hurt by the way Juliana treated her. She went with Lauren to prepare dinner for her daughter and her new friend.

The young girl and the athlete chatted as though they had known each other a lifetime, ignoring the presence of the other two women in the kitchen.

\- "And what is your favourite movie?" Kara asked.

\- "Hmm... My favourite movie is... Finding Nemo, because Dori is hilarious!" - the girl opened her giant eyes.

\- "Seriously?" - The brunette nodded her head. – "Mine too!" - Kara said with great enthusiasm. – "And what is your favourite part?" - the girl asked again.

\- "Ahh well that's easy, when Dori speaks whale... HELloooo KaaRAA!" - the brunette imitated Dori which made the girl laugh, who in turn also imitated the gesture.

In the kitchen Valentina and Lauren did nothing but exchange glances and listen to the conversation of the other two. Valentina couldn't help but smile from ear to ear when she heard her daughter chatting with Juliana. Once the food was ready, they served Kara and the player...

\- "Mommy, you forgot Hippo's food." - Kara complained to her mother.

\- "Yes Valentina, how could you forget about Hippo?" - Juliana added, earning a withering look from the blue-eyed woman.

\- "Here you are." - Valentina placed a small plate in front of the hippo with some food.

\- "I think our friend needs an apology, right Kara?" - Juliana earned another killer look from the blonde, one that left her feeling as buried Beatrix Kiddo in Kill Bill.

\- "It's true mommy, you should apologize to Hiccup for forgetting about him." - added the girl.

When Valentina saw her daughter's face, she approached Hippo and quickly said – "I'm sorry." - she grabbed a beer from the kitchen and followed Lauren to the sofa.

The two women stared at the table, wondering what was happening. With the little girl on top of the brunette, they ate while chatting about God knows what, under the watchful eye of the blue-eyed woman and her friend.

"Hey," Lauren said softly. "You can't deny that this image is adorable." she pointed to the table.

\- "I do not deny it." - Valentina admitted. – "Look at Kara, I have never seen her talk like that or laugh so much with someone other than Camz, you or me." - her daughter's laughter was heard in the background.

\- "And how long has it been since we heard that laugh?" - asked the incredulous green-eyed woman.

At that moment Camila entered the apartment – "Is that Kara laughing?" - she asked her fiancée. When she looked at the table, she noticed that the girl was not alone.

\- "Hello, I'm Camila." - she approached and introduced herself.

\- "Hello, I'm Juliana." - the brunette answered the greeting.

\- "The Supergirl?" - Camila jumped excitedly.

\- "Huh? Yeah, that seems to be what they call me around here!" - she looked at Valentina and Lauren who were not understanding.

Suddenly Mila dropped the bags she was carrying and gave Juliana a big hug.

\- "Mommy, can you put Nemo on the TV? Juliana and I want to watch it." - Kara interrupted her aunt's greeting to plead with her mother.

\- "Yes, Kara, I can put the movie on, but surely Juliana has more important things to do." she said while noticing that Juliana's cell phone had not stopped ringing.

\- "No, in fact I have nothing more important to do, so I can stay!" - again she answered curtly while choosing to ignore the calls.

\- "All right!" - Kara grabbed Juliana's hand and led her to the sofa. Juliana sat down and the little girl climbed on top of her again as they waited for Valentina to put the movie on.

\- "Lern, I want to see Nemo too, can I? Please!" - Mila begged her fiancée making a sad face.

\- "Yes, yes, of course Camzi Camz." - she grabbed the arm of Valentina who had finished installing the 'cinema' - Valentina and I will be right back." - she practically dragged her to the bedroom. - "Right now, Carvajal, you are going to tell me everything you did this afternoon, which I'm sure has something to do with the sweetie in the living room."

\- "First Lauren lower your voice! And second, if you calm down, I'll tell you!" - she sighed, took a breath and began to tell the green-eyed woman all about the discussion she had with the brunette on the court.

\- "Did you accuse her of being a thief?" - she couldn't believe what her friend had done.

\- "Shh! Lower your voice!" - asked the blonde.

\- "Did you accuse her of being a thief?" - the green-eyed woman asked again but this time in a lower voice – "What were you thinking Valentina, the only thing the hottie did was help us?"

\- "Lauren she lied to me, she pretended to be poor and..."

\- "She didn't lie Valen! You thought she was poor which is different! Think about it, did she at any time ask you for money? Or say anything about money?"

\- "No, no she didn't, but..."

\- "But nothing you dumb blonde, you made all that up! And then you go and accuse her of being a thief! Of course she's going to come here to defend herself... wait a minute..." - the green-eyed woman began to think.

\- "What?" - Valentina asked when she saw her friend's pensive face.

\- "The shirt she gave you, isn't that the shirt you now sleep in?" - Lauren asked as she looked at her friend with a knowing smile.

Valentina didn't know what to say. She had omitted that detail when talking to Juliana earlier.

\- "And what? What's your point? Plus, the clothes I sleep in are none of your business!" - she said as she opened the door of her room, trying to escape the inquisitive look of her friend.

\- "Fine! Run away, you coward!" the green-eyed woman continued the conversation. - "I'll get it out of you!" Lauren told her friend as she passed her. – "I promise! I'll even make a bet right now. If I can't get you to admit that the sweetie drives you crazy Carvajal, I'll let that obese cat can sleep in my bed for a month!"

When Valentina reached the couch, Juliana motioned for her to look at Kara. She looked at her daughter sound asleep in the brunette's arms hugging her favourite stuffed animal tightly.

\- "Let me take her to the room." - she said, almost whispering to Juliana.

\- "Tell me where and I'll take her." - Juliana also offered in a whisper.

Without hesitation Valentina gestured to follow her, while Juliana carefully lifted Kara and Hippo, and started walking to her room.

Valentina pulled back the covers on the bed and Juliana lay her down. The blonde changed Kara into her pyjamas under the watchful eye of the brunette who was watching the mother-daughter interaction with adoration.

\- "Mommy, Mommy." - Kara murmured almost asleep. - "Where's Juliana?" - She managed to say before falling asleep.

\- "She's beautiful." - Juliana said while they watched her sleep. – "Like her mother." - she added.

At the last comment the blonde turned to look at Juliana. A look that continued until the doorbell rang.

Lauren who had been lying on the couch with Camila, went to open the door.

\- "Well, great, we had Snow White and the Dwarfs but the only one who was missing has now arrived, the witch! Luckily I don't eat apples." - Lauren said sarcastically while Sara, without greeting her, entered the apartment.

\- "Where's Valentina?" - Asked the model.

\- "Yes, I'm fine Sara, thanks for asking and how have you been?" - Lauren teased as she walked into the living room just as Juliana and Valentina were coming back from the room.

\- "Love!" - Sara yelled and ran to her girlfriend and gave her a kiss that the blonde didn't have time to avoid.

\- "Okay, okay, Sara, what are you doing here?" - Valentina asked, embarrassed by the presence of Juliana.

\- "What? Can I not miss my girlfriend?" - she said with a silly voice.

\- "Or miss her money!" - Lauren muttered.

\- "Laur, don't start!" - Valentina warned her.

\- "You're here again?" - It was Sara who questioned the athlete while looking her up and down.

\- "Sara, this is Juliana. Juliana this is Sara, she is my..."

\- "Your girlfriend, yes I know." - Juliana stepped forward and stretched out her hand to greet the model.

\- "Yes, yes, nice to meet you... blah blah blah. Anyway..." - she ignored the brunette's hand. – "I came to remind you about the photo session tomorrow, you promised you would accompany me." - she pointed at her girlfriend.

\- "Is she always this irritating?" - Juliana asked Lauren discreetly.

\- "You have no idea!" - quickly replied the green-eyed woman.

Just then Juliana's cell phone rang again.

\- "Excuse me, I must answer this call." - she left the group.

\- "Wait a minute Valentina..." - Camila said – "I can't take Kara tomorrow. I can't next week either. I have to work overtime at the academy."

\- "Don't tell me that now Mila. What am I supposed to do? I have very important photoshoots scheduled all week. And you Lolo?"

\- "Impossible Valen. I have to be in court all week." – she said now worried about her niece.

\- "My God, what am I going to do now? I don't have time to look for a babysitter." - Valentina clutched her head. – "Think Valentina, think!" - she repeated to herself.

\- "Excuse me." - Juliana had been more interested in the conversation happening in the room that she had overheard, than listening to the girl on the phone who was inviting her out. Laura, Paula, Maura or whatever.

\- "Maybe you can take her with you and Sara tomorrow?" - Camila asked.

\- "Oh no, that's not true!" - Sara stopped paying attention to her phone when she heard that 'crazy idea.'

\- "Excuse me." - Juliana tried again to be heard.

\- "Valentina you promised that you would dedicate the whole day to me!" - the model complained.

\- "I know I promised you, but what do you want me to do?" - Valentina couldn't believe how selfish her girlfriend was.

\- "EXCUSE ME!" - This time it was not Juliana, but the beast that was inside her that made itself heard. When Juliana got angry, she was capable of facing the Hulk.

When she had the attention of all the women. Well, she didn't really care about Sara, she said – "I can take care of her."

\- "You?" - Valentina looked at her amazed by her proposal. – "No, no, Juliana I can't ask you to do that, besides we just met, and I don't think..."

\- "Look blondie, I know, I know you just met me. I know we've argued more than we've talked, but I swear on my life that I will take care of that girl. Besides, we get along really well. You saw that right?"

\- "I think it's a great idea V!" - Camila added excited by the information.

\- "Yeah, me too!" Lauren said.

\- "Does anyone care about my opinion?" - Sara asked.

\- "No!" - Lauren and Juliana answered together.

\- "Look honey." - Sara grabbed Valentina's arm and took her to the side. – "I don't think it's a good idea to let Kara hang out with someone like her. She's wearing gym pants and a sweatshirt, Valentina. A sweatshirt." - she said pointing to Juliana and making a disgusted face.

Valentina raised her head and met the brunette's gaze. A look that told her the complete opposite of what her girlfriend was trying to convince her.

\- "Well, okay... Juliana, do you know where Kara's school is?" - she stopped paying attention to Sara and walked over to basketball player as she began to explain all the necessary details.

Meanwhile, in the living room Camila and Lauren were exchanging mischievous smiles and glances. But at the other end of the room Sara was smoking like a coal train and closely watching the interaction between her girlfriend and the brunette. – "Juliana Valdés. I'll be watching you!" - she whispered to herself. 

**Half an hour later, same place**.

\- "Well, did you understand everything?" - Valentina asked.

\- "Yeah, I think out of the three million instructions you just gave me, I understood some of it!" - she said with a Valdes smile.

\- "Don't be funny, it's important that you take good care of Kara, she's all I have." - Valentina lowered her gaze.

\- "Hey!" - the brunette delicately grabbed her chin and raised her face so she could look into her eyes. – "Believe me, I'm going to take care of her like she were mine. Trust me."

\- "I really appreciate what you are doing for Kara."

\- "It's no hassle, believe me. She's special."

\- "Hey." - they both said at the same time.

\- "What is it Valentina?" - Juliana asked.

\- "What... well, I wanted to know, actually I wanted to ask you, why did you come to my house?" - The blonde couldn't take it anymore, she had to get rid of any doubt.

\- "I came to... well..." - Juliana could not tell Valentina that she had knocked on the door of her house with the intention of continuing the argument. She couldn't keep fighting with her after meeting Kara and her friends, she just couldn't. – "I came to give you this." - she took out her wallet and gave her a $100 bill. With this last gesture, she turned and tried to walk out the door.

\- "Wait! Juliana, I..."

\- "Don't say anything!" - Juliana placed a finger on her lips. The blonde with this small contact felt her legs lose strength.

\- "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" - The brunette kissed Valentina's cheek and turned to leave. The blonde immediately missing the contact. 


	8. 8. How to Make Friends in Three Easy Steps

** Outside Kara's School **

"Juliana! Juliana!" Kara ran towards the brunette and took a huge jump to be able to climb on her.

"Whoa! What a jump you made little kangaroo!" Juliana caught the girl mid jump and spun her around. "How light you are. It seems like you're made of feathers!" Juliana threw Kara into the air. She loved making her laugh.

"Okay, okay, okay!" Kara said laughing loudly as she was getting a little dizzy.

"Okay good, are we ready to go?" Juliana said as she put the girl down. "There might be a gift for you in my car."

"A gift?" Kara opened her eyes wide. "What are we waiting for then? Come on, come on!" She grabbed the brunette's hand and tried to move her but with little success, until Juliana let her pull her away.

When she was sure Kara was properly positioned and buckled in. She lifted the package from behind the seat and gave it to the little girl.

"Here you go kid."

Juliana didn't know how, but in the blink of an eye, Kara was holding a new purple hippo, a little bigger than Hippo. 

"Wow!" The girl was already hugging her new toy. "Now Hippo has a new friend!"

"I know. I thought it wasn't fair for us to have fun while Hippo is alone all afternoon. Hey, you have to name it." Juliana couldn't hide her smile when she looked at the girl.

"TWO!" Announced Kara excitedly. 

"Two what? No, no, it's just one gift for now. If your mother finds out that on the first day I gave you presents, she's going to give me the death stare and BOOM! The end of the world!" Juliana got nervous just thinking about that look. 

"Two is his name, I want to call him Two! The other is Hippo is called One, and this is Two!" Kara explained logically. 

"Two? I think we have to start working on your imagination! But Two is perfect, pretty little blonde." Juliana was tickling her. "Hold on tight to Two, we are going to have fun today." Juliana said, starting the Jeep.

  
** Juliana's favourite bar **

Juliana took Kara by the hand to cross the street and enter the bar. It was hilarious to see Kara holding a stuffed animal almost half her size. As they got to the bar, another woman approached, and Juliana opened the door. "After you ladies." Juliana said, letting the other woman and Kara pass first. Kara looked at her and Juliana leaned down and said with a wink, "You always have to help damsels in distress."

They sat at a table and a waitress approached them to serve them. 

"Hello Juli. Oh, I see that today you have some very beautiful company," said the waitress while she shook hands with the little girl. 

"Hi Jess, how are you?" Juliana greeted. "Jess, this little princess you see here is Kara. Kara, this is Jess, my friend from the bar."

"Hello," the girl replied shyly.

"Well, finally you bring someone worthy of your company!" Joked the waitress who had tired of seeing Juliana frequent bar with lots of different women.

"Well... bring us two chocolate milks and many, many cookies for the little lady and I to share, please." Juliana asked quickly to avoid more comments from the waitress. 

"Chocolate milk?" Asked Kara enthusiastically. "Mum says that chocolate milk is only for weekends."

"Well, from now on and just between us, there is a new rule... all stupid rules are forbidden!" Juliana decreed by hitting her fist on the table. 

"Stupid?" Asked Kara, who wasn't quite sure what she could or couldn't do. 

"Yes. Stupid rules like this one about chocolate, or no jumping on the bed, or no running around the house, or not being able to play video games for too long or..."

"Or doing homework?" Added Kara. 

"Yes, yes... Hey, no! That's not stupid!" Juliana looked at Kara, "You can't add that to the list Kangaroo! Well tell me, did you have fun at school today?" The brunette noticed an immediate change in the little girl as she lowered her head.

"I don't want to talk about it." Her head was still down. 

"But that's not fair Pooh bear. I would never say that to you if you asked me something. I would always talk to you." Juliana tried to get the little girl to open up. 

"Would you really always tell me everything? The brunette nodded, "And you'd tell me the truth?" Kara asked surprised.

"Of course! The whole truth."

"You promise?"

"Senior kangaroo to junior kangaroo, I promise," she shook her hand. "Come on, tell me." Juliana insisted as Jess left their snack on the table. Juliana motioned for her to move away quickly so she wouldn't interrupt the little girl's momentum.

"It's just... I don't like going to school... because... because I don't have friends," the girl said at last. The last words came out as a whisper, but the brunette managed to hear her.

"You don't have friends? And why is that? If you are one of the coolest girls I know. Not as cool as me, but with a little more practice and you'll catch up, eh?!" She said as she nudged the little girl. Juliana was trying to cheer her up, because seeing her like this broke her heart.

"Well, I don't know." Kara said lifting her shoulders while eating a cookie. "They don't come play with me and I'm embarrassed to go to them. I don't know what to say."

"Is that the problem?" The girl nodded. "Ah well, but that's easy to solve!" Kara looked at Juliana as if waiting for a magician to reveal his secrets.

"We just need some practice and that's all!" Juliana said confidently.

"Practice?" Kara asked again.

"Yes, look, I'm going to make a new friend here at the bar." Juliana looked around to see who could be useful to her. "And you're going to watch how I do it. Then we will go to the park and it will be your turn to do it." Kara looked at Juliana as if she were explaining the instructions to disarm a nuclear bomb. Seeing the girl's face, she added, "You come with me. Watch and learn!" She took the girl's hand and approached the woman they had held the door for.

"Excuse me," the brunette interrupted the woman who was concentrating on the book in her hands. When the woman saw that it was Juliana, she smiled, "How can I help you beautiful?"

 _'Wow, this is not the type of friend I am trying to teach her how to make!'_ Juliana thought as Kara was attentive to all her words.

"My name is Juliana, I just wanted to tell you that the book you are reading is a very good choice. When I read it I really enjoyed it." Juliana had no idea which book it was.

"Well, well, what do we have here. Athletic and intellectual, I like it. My name is Samanta, but you can call me whatever you want brunette," she said provocatively.

_'Of course, this has to happen to me now. Juliana, calm down_ _,_ _the girl is watching, you have to act fast. React Juliana, React_ _!'_

"Nice to meet you Samara..."

"Samantha," the woman corrected.

"Nice to meet you Samanta. My little girl..." she said pointing to Kara, "and I, wanted to ask if you would like to be our friend?"

The woman's gaze flicked from Kara to Juliana a few times before finally settling on Kara, she approached the little girl. "Well, I would love to be your friend," she ruffled the girl's hair and stood up, lifted her things and approached Juliana's ear whispering, "But I want something more from you." She left a card in Juliana's hand and murmured a soft, "Call me," then spoke louder to both. "See you later," and left the bar.

A blushing Juliana with the card in her hand looked at Kara. "Did you see how easy that was? You approach someone, you talk about something and boom! You've made a friend!"

_'I hope it's not this type of friend, she is still very young. Oh my God if her mother finds out. Oh God, the killer look, please no...'_

"Well, now it's your turn," she said looking at Kara. "See you later Jess!" The two said goodbye to the waitress.

"Goodbye precious, come back whenever you want!" Jess said goodbye.

As they were leaving, another girl, this time younger, was approaching the door. And to Juliana's surprise, it was Kara who went forward, opened the door and said to the teenager, "Go ahead," adding a beautiful smile that was very similar to her mother's.

The little girl looked at Juliana and spoke again. "You always have to help damsels in distress, right?"

"That's right kangaroo!"

 _'_ _Yes, now the murderous look is assured. Valentina will kill me. My God please let me live so I can lift one more trophy._ _'_ \- Juliana thought looking at the sky. 

** Sara's photoshoot **

"Can you stop looking at your damn cell phone?" The model complained to her girlfriend, "I have been posing in my underwear for almost three hours Valentina and you haven't looked at me once. Do you no longer find me attractive?"

"What are you talking about Sara? What did you just say? I've seen you posing a thousand times. I remind you that I was your photographer! I am worried about Kara. It's Juliana's first day looking after her and I'm afraid it isn't going well."

"If you're so worried, then call her. Then you can stop worrying. Maybe you could put your cell phone away and pay attention to me, your girlfriend!" She went back to the set to continue with the photo session. 

"Fuck you Sara, fuck you!" Valentina murmured to herself as she searched her contact list for Juliana's number. "Calm Valentina, you're fine," she tried to calm herself. For some reason just talking to Juliana made her nervous. 

"Hello." Valentina heard her daughter's voice on the other side of the phone.

"Kara? Why are you answering Juliana's phone? How many times have you been told not to answer someone else's phone?"

"Wait a minute, mom." Valentina listened to her daughter talking to Juliana. "Juliana, is not answering another person's cell phone a stupid rule?" ' _What? A stupid rule?'_

"Kara! Shhhh, don't say that! We'll talk about it later. Tell her I'm driving," the blonde heard Juliana's reply and raised an eyebrow. 

"Mom, Juliana says that she is driving, which is why I had to answer the phone."

"Well honey, I just called to see how everything was going. Can you tell Juliana that later, she and I will also talk about the stupid rules!" Valentina watched as Sara made gestures with her hand, calling her as she tried to listen to her daughter relay the message to the brunette.

"Oh my God, save me from this one, save me!" Valentina smiled when she heard Juliana's plea. 

"Hey Mom, can Juliana come pick me up every day?" The blonde smiled again at her daughter's request.

"We'll see, darling, we'll see," she sighed as Sara beckoned her again. "Well, honey, I have to go. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Ok, mommy, but try to be very late, because Juliana, Two and I have a lot to practice to do. Mwah!" Valentina smiled at her little girl's kiss, but the last comment drew her attention. 

"Wait, Kara. Two? Practice? What are you practicing?... Hello, hello?... She cut me off. My daughter cut me off. Her own mother! One day with Juliana and she already cuts me..." 

"Valentina, are you looking at me?" Asked the model.

"Yes, Sara you are doing very well, keep it up." Valentina answered, but truthfully, she was not interested in what her girlfriend was doing. Her head was elsewhere.

**In the park**

"Are you ready?" Juliana asked the girl. They had been going over the 'How to Make Friends in Three Easy Steps,' plan for an hour, and now it was time for Kara to implement it. The little girl nodded to the question.

"Remember..." Juliana said, " ** _Step 1:_** Choose your future friend..." she lifted one finger. " ** _Step 2:_** Introduce yourself..." she raised a second finger. "And **_Step 3:_** ** _"_** Juliana gestured to Kara so she could finish the phrase.

"I talk to my future friend about any topic." Completed the little blonde.

"Exactly! Choose, introduce yourself and speak. Three easy steps. Well now go!" She gently pushed the little girl towards the playground where several children around her age playing. "I will wait over here with Two," added the brunette as she moved one of Two's legs waving goodbye to the girl.

Juliana sat on a bench close to the playground and watched Kara. First, she saw how the little girl searched for her 'target'. She watched as Kara approached a child who was sitting near the swings, but she hesitated for a moment and looked at Juliana for encouragement.

"Come on you little rascal, you can do it!" The brunette murmured as she gestured with her hand for the little girl to continue. Kara approached the boy and spoke to him. 

"Yes! That's my girl!" Juliana jumped off the bench in victory as Kara gave her thumbs up to let her know it was going well. 

**An hour and a half later. Still in the park**

"Kara, it's time to go!" Juliana announced after she had exhausted herself chasing the children around the park. Kara had the brilliant idea that she and all her new friends would play 'hide from the monster' and Juliana was given the role of the monster. 

"Goodbye Lucas, goodbye Mary, goodbye Simon, goodbye everyone!" Kara shouted to all her new friends.

"Look at you Pooh bear, you learn quickly huh!" Juliana ruffled the girl's hair. 

"I had a lot of Fun! Can we do it again?" 

"Whenever you want little one, whenever you want. But now we have to go, you need to take a bath. And change your clothes!" After all the running around and going up and down the slides, Kara was a mess. 

"But I have no clothes," said the girl quickly.

"Well then, we'll have to make a quick visit to the mall." Juliana said as she settled the little girl into her car. 

** Juliana's Apartment **

"My God, it's late! I will never allow Sara to convince me to go to another of her photo sessions. EVER AGAIN!" Valentina spoke to herself while nervously knocking on Juliana's apartment door. She had sent a message to the brunette telling her that she was delayed and asked if Juliana could keep Kara a little longer, to which she relied with a simple 'Delighted'. 

She knocked on the door again, this time more forcefully. _'Have they gone somewhere?_ ' The blonde thought. A second later the door was thrown open and once again the image in front of Valentina, left her speechless.


	9. 9. Heatstroke

** Juliana's Apartment **

Juliana Valdés. Juliana Valdés wearing only a black sports top and small black shorts. Her hair tied up in a messy ponytail. Her hands bandaged and... ' _My God!'_ Valentina thought, ' _One, two, three and four. Four perfect little squares marked her abdomen.'_ The blonde continued her journey. ' _And those legs. Holy Mother_ _of God_ _! What would it be like to... Wait, how long have I been staring at her?'_

"Valentina, Valentina? Are you okay?" Juliana asked, passing her hand in front of her face and interrupting the blonde's thoughts.

"Uh... yeah, yeah... I... I was coming to..." The blonde couldn't get over the shock, she shook her head trying to clear her thoughts, "I mean. I came to find Kara."

"Yeah, of course, come in, come in." Juliana moved aside to let Valentina pass. "Sorry for making you wait, I just took advantage of the fact that Kara fell asleep to do some exercise," she explained while pointing to the punching bag that hung in a corner of the apartment.

"Are you a boxer?" Valentina asked curiously trying not to look at the brunette. She had managed to stop drooling over her, but if she looked at her again, she wasn't sure she would be able to control herself. She might end up jumping the girl.

"I don't do it as a sport. I just use it to relieve stress," said Juliana removing the hand wraps while watching Valentina examine her apartment.

"Do you play drums?" Asked the photographer when she spotted the instrument in another corner of the room.

 _'Shit, now I see where_ _Kara's_ _curiosity c_ _omes_ _from._ ' Juliana thought.

"And the guitar too?" Valentina asked again, but this time inspecting the electric guitar that was next to the drums.

_'Okay, being beautiful and curious are_ _definitely_ _Carvajal traits. Oh, and then there is the little brow lift. If Valentina Carvajal raises her eyebrow, she can do whatever she pleases.'_

"Yes, well, my mom was a kind of music fanatic and well... she taught me as a girl."

Valentina could see the discomfort of the brunette when naming her mother and knew she had to quickly change the subject. "Where's Kara?" She asked quickly.

"In the bedroom," replied the brunette grateful for the change of subject. "She fell asleep while watching Finding Nemo after dinner. I don't think we'll ever get to the end of that movie!" Juliana said smiling, remembering her afternoon with the girl.

"Juliana, you don't know how much I appreciate all this. The truth is we haven't had an easy time lately, and..." The blonde sighed, "I really don't know how to thank you."

"Are you okay?" Juliana asked when she noticed Valentina's anxious face.

"Yeah. Well, not really. I am tired, stressed and busy with work. It makes me angry that I don't have much time for my daughter and... and..."

"Hey! Relax. I understand you. Maybe what you need is to release some tension, like I do..." Juliana had an idea. "I know, come with me," she took Valentina's hand delicately and led her to the punching bag. "Okay, go for it! Hit it!" Juliana encouraged her.

"What do you want me to do?" She looked at the brunette and then at the bag, "Oh no, no, no, Juliana I wouldn't know how. I could never..."

"Come on. Do you want to release some stress? Yes or no?"

"Yeah, but..."

"But nothing. Let's imagine that the bag..." She pointed to the object, "holds all the things that are bothering you and Bam!" The brunette gave a good blow to the bag and grabbed it quickly to prevent it from hitting her second favourite blonde. "Now it's you turn. Come on." Juliana encouraged her.

Valentina stood in front of the bag, staring at it while thinking... ' _Things that are bothering me... things that bother me..._ Boom! Valentina threw a small punch that barely moved the bag and looked at Juliana. "Like that?"

"Yeah, well, it wasn't the best punch I've seen but it's a start!" Juliana scratched her head. "Now try again, but this time hit it harder! Try thinking about work, or that you have to defend Kara from this bag. Ooh, I know, think about the day I ruined your lucky shirt!" Valentina rolled her eyes at what Juliana said. She looked back at the punching bag. Boom! This time the bag wobbled a little.

"And now? How did I do this time?" Valentina asked again.

"That was a little better, but you have to fix your position. Let's see... let me help you." Juliana stepped in front of the blonde, grabbed her arms and adjusted them. "This arm goes like this..." Said the brunette raising her right arm a little. "And this arm a little lower..." She adjusted the left arm. "Ok, that's good. Now..." Juliana moved behind Valentina and was glued to the blonde's back. The blonde felt all the hair on her skin stand to attention. "Spread your legs a bit," she instructed gently in her ear.

Needless to say, Valentina had lost all kinds of consciousness at the contact of her body with the brunette's, but when Juliana whispered those words to her, Valentina could not avoid the trillions of butterflies that emerged from her stomach. Not to mention the heat she felt between her legs. She gathered all her strength and spread her feet a little. "Okay!" She gulped, "Um, like that?" She could only ask in a whisper.

Juliana's situation was not any better than the blondes, instead of butterflies, she felt elephants with wings in her stomach, she murmured a soft, "Yes," but took Valentina by the waist to turn her around to locate Valentina's piercing blue eyes.

It was ten seconds. Ten seconds where they stood in the same position observing each other, trying to decipher what the other was feeling, while trying to control themselves. For every second that passed the distance between their mouths decreased and for every centimetre gained their heartbeats became faster and faster...

 ** _Ring Rin_** ** _g!_** Valentina's cell phone brought them out of their trance.

The blonde quickly backed away from the brunette and grabbed her phone. "Hello. Sara? Yes, what do you want?" Valentina answered while she subtly watched the brunette walk to the refrigerator for a bottle of water and drink the contents. As Valentina observed the athlete, she noticed how the tattoo that started on her left wrist ended on her neck. ' _God! How can anyone_ _make_ _drink_ _ing_ _water_ _look_ _so sexy?'_ Valentina thought as she tried to listen to her girlfriend. "Sara, Sara stop! If you are calling to ask for permission to go out without me tonight... stop talking because you have it. Go and have fun!" There was a pause. "Yes, me too. Take care." Valentina hung up the call. "It was Sara. My girlfriend. She wanted to..."

"Yeah, I heard. Don't worry. Do you want to go to bed?" Juliana asked without thinking. "Erm, not to bed, but to the bed in the room where Kara is, not to bed with me, not that I don't want to go to bed with you, because believe me..."

"Juliana, Juliana, stop, stop, I understand. I should lift Kara and call a taxi to get her home..."

"A taxi? No way. I can take you." Announced the brunette.

"No Juliana, you've done enough, I don't want to abuse..."

"Valentina I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. So go on. Grab your things while I change and look for the girl." Juliana went down the corridor followed attentively by the photographer's gaze. A minute later Juliana had appeared with more clothes, much to Valentina's disappointment, and a sleeping Kara in one arm and Two in the other. Valentina couldn't help but smile when she saw the new member of the family. "I present to you Two!" Juliana told her very softly as she left the stuffed animal in the hands of the blonde, who raised an eyebrow at the name. "Hey, I don't deserve that eyebrow. Your daughter is the one with no imagination!" She stated as she walked towards the door.

Once Valentina was in the passenger seat, Juliana gently placed the sleeping girl into her mother's arms and quickly ran to the driver's seat. The drive to the Carvajal residence was only a few blocks away but for both women it was an eternity. The tension radiated between them with every clash of their gazes. The only noise to be heard in the jeep was from Kara's deep breathing and the odd little sleepy murmur she made. When they arrived, Juliana lifted the sleeping girl from Valentina's arms and carried her to the apartment. This time the blonde did not protest and opened the door for her, then together they quietly put the little girl to bed.

"Valentina," it was the brunette who broke the silence once outside the little girl's room. "I wanted to ask your permission to take Kara to the zoo on Sunday. If you haven't already made other plans, of course." The brunette avoided looking the photographer in the face. "The owner is an old friend of my family; he was telling me that a baby hippo was born recently, and they will soon be showing it to the public. And well, you know, Kara seems to like those animals, so I thought..."

"Juliana." Valentina thought she could happily listen to the brunette talk at length about any subject. "Of course you can take her. I am sure she will love it."

"I also wondered if maybe you would like to come with us?" Added Juliana, "And Lauren and Camila was it?" The blonde nodded. "They should come too. If you want of course." Juliana had omitted Sara's name entirely on purpose, which Valentina noticed but ignored.

"I would love to. And I have no doubt that Mila would too. And therefore, if Camila wants to go then Lauren will too. In other words, the answer is yes, of course we will!"

"Great!" Juliana made an enormous effort not to jump for joy. "I will swing by at nine o'clock to pick you all up," she gave Valentina a quick kiss on the cheek and left the apartment as fast as she could.

Valentina lingered at the door for a moment after Juliana left, then closed the door and went to retrieve her cell phone.

"Carvagay, this better be important because you are interrupting my night time session of wild sex." Valentina rolled her eyes at her friend's response.

"Hello Laur. First, that was way too much information, and secondly, I am only calling to tell you and Camila to be here before nine o'clock on Sunday. We are going to the zoo."

"To the zoo? Before nine? On a Sunday? Don't make me laugh! Lauren Jauregui never wakes up on a Sunday before nine o'clock and less to go see some stinky animals... wait a second dumb blonde..." Valentina could hear the conversation between the green-eyed woman and her fiancée. She already knew what was going to happen. And the mental count of the blonde began. _'One_ _,'_ she could hear Mila tell Lauren that the animals were not stinky and that she wanted to go to the zoo. ' _Two_ _,'_ Lauren was putting up a bit of resistance. ' _And three_ _,'_ movement was heard on the phone again. "We'll be there Carvajal!" And the call ended.


	10. 10. Someone like You

** Valentina's Apartment – Very early on Sunday **

Valentina, Lauren, Camila and Kara were sitting at the breakfast table waiting for the brunette. The dancer and the little girl were talking about what they wanted to do at the zoo, what animals they were going to see, etc. Lauren held her head in her hands watching Valentina as she bounced her knee anxiously while staring at the clock on the wall.

"Anyone would think that you were nervous Carvajal!" Said the Latina who had decided to start provoking her friend early. She was going to make her pay for the early Sunday wake up.

"Oh what's wrong, did the idiot wake up grumpy today?" Valentina was putting on a baby voice. The blonde was in a very good mood this morning.

Lauren was about to answer when the door was heard...

"I'll go!" The Carvajal's yelled in unison and took off towards the door. When they opened the door, they found Juliana carrying many beverages.

"Hello!" The brunette greeted her favourite blondes. "Can you help me with this?" She asked the older blonde.

"My God Juliana, how many coffees did you buy?" Asked Valentina. There must have been at least eight different drinks.

"The white glass is chocolate milk for Kara and the others are all the different types of coffee they sold in the café. I didn't know which one you preferred," explained Juliana, blushing.

"Valdes, for this..." Lauren said grabbing the black coffee, "and only for this, I forgive you for the zoo idea!"

Camila gave her a big hug and grabbed the cappuccino. "Thanks Juli. And I loved your idea!"

"I'll take the latte." Valentina shyly approached Juliana and took the drink from her hands. "Hi," she said and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Juliana stared at her. "Well, are we going?" The blonde asked as she walked towards the door moving her hips exaggeratedly, feeling the brunette's gaze fixed on her.

"Lolo, I think there is something wrong with her." Camila said to her girlfriend while she waved her hand in front of Juliana's face and got no response.

"Give her a moment to recover Camzi Camz, she fell into the trap of Carvajal's butt," this comment made Juliana react, she shook her head quickly and went out the door in search of the mother and daughter.

** At the zoo **

"Damn! My feet are killing me!" Lauren complained as she sat on a bench in front of the monkeys.

"Who comes to the zoo, for a three-hour walk, in Channel boots?" The blonde questioned when she heard her friend complaining, again.

"Be careful what you say about my babies Carvajal! They were $1500! For that money I would wear them to climb Mount Everest. Also, do not insult them, they can hear you and they'll be offended!" Lauren said caressing one of her boots. "Wait a minute, three hours? We have to walk for three fucking hours watching filthy animals' mate with each other... Lord help me!"

"Stop the drama grumpy, why don't you learn from your fiancée?" She pointed to Camila who was with Kara and Juliana throwing peanuts to the monkeys.

"Lolo, Valen... Let's feed the birds now." Camila announced.

"Okay, let's go darling," she signalled to her fiancée and then addressed Valentina. "The next time your girlfriend comes up with another idea like this, I'm going to kick your butt so hard that it will be redder than those of the monkeys Carvajal!" With that said, she ran to her girlfriend.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Valentina corrected her in vain because the Latina didn't hear her. The bird cage was not exactly small, rather it was a huge aviary where the birds could fly freely. It was full of branches and ropes that were intertwined with each other. Juliana approached the blonde.

"Here," she handed Valentina a small pot with nectar to feed the birds. "I hope you are not going to drink it like Lauren!" She said with a smile. Valentina raised her head and saw how Kara and Camila were scolding the green-eyed woman. "Come on, let's get closer." Juliana grabbed the photographer's hand and guided her to the others without noticing the blush on the blonde's face. "Okay..." Juliana said to the other four, "now you just have to stretch out your arm and wait for the birds to come closer," explained the brunette who still had not let go of Valentina's hand, neither were in a hurry to do so. Camila and Valentina had birds eating out of their nectar cups. Kara, who was holding both her cup and Juliana's cup had more. Lauren on the other hand, did not attract any birds.

"Filthy birds, they wish they were lucky enough to from eat me!" Complained Lauren. "If you don't come to eat this filthy nectar, I'm going to kick your asses, do you hear me?" Patience was not the lawyers strong suit.

"Hey, if you keep treating them like that, they won't come." The brunette was trying to help. "You have to relax a bit." Juliana advised her when she saw how the Latina was grinding her teeth.

"I am relaxed, Valdes!" She moved her shoulders. "You see? Relaxed!" She shook them again, but this time stronger, which caused the nectar to spill on to her boots. "Shit!... No, no, my babies..."

What happened next, nobody saw coming. The birds attacked Lauren's boots in a frenzy, pecking at the nectar as the Latina stumbled backwards. "Shoo, shoo!" Lauren tried to scare the birds away, but the more she moved, the more nectar spilled. "Help! Help! The birds are attacking me!" Lauren screamed as she ran around the aviary.

—————

"Can you speed up?" The green-eyed woman commanded Juliana. After Lauren's $1,500 footwear could not be saved from the 'savage attack' of the birds, Juliana had offered to carry her to the gift shop.

"Lolo, don't treat Juliana badly. She is not to blame for what happened to your boots!" Camila defended the athlete.

"I don't blame her Camz... but I'm going to miss them so much... now what boots am I going to wear to court on Thursdays?" The Latina cried. "This shitty zoo is going to reimburse me. I'm going to sue them for raising wild animals... My boots! Why?" She lamented.

"Mommy, why does Juliana have to carry Aunt Lern and I have to walk?" Asked the girl who had been totally offended that she was not being carried by her favourite person.

"Because your Aunt Lern is a cry-baby," the older blonde did not like the idea of Lauren on top of Juliana either.

"Shut up, envious blondes! There it is! The gift shop! Giddy-up Juliana, giddy-up!" She said imitating a horseman.

 _'Finally!'_ Was Juliana's only thought.

"Lolo, look, buy these shoes with the tiger on the front." Camila showed her girlfriend some hideous shoes with the head of a Bengal tiger protruding.

The Latina noticed how her friends were trying not to laugh. "Forget it Camz! I am not going to wear those things. And that is my final decision!"

"They are beautiful shoes Lern, but I don't think they come in size thirty-eight though!" The photographer had been making fun of her best friend for more than half an hour.

"Camz look at her, she is teasing me again!" Lauren accused.

"Leave her alone Lolo, tonight you will receive your reward. I promise." The Latina stuck her tongue out at Valentina and continued walking, counting the hours to the end of the day.

Camila and Kara, who was holding Juliana's hand, quickly advanced towards the hippopotamus sector. But Lauren and Valentina, who did not take her eyes off the athlete, were further behind. "If you keep looking at her like that, you will wear yourself out!" Lauren caught her friend's attention.

"Lern, don't start!" Valentina warned the Latina.

"Seriously V. You can't deny it. The basketball player drives you crazy. And don't look at me like that!" She pointed her finger at Valentina. "Valen we have never kept secrets from each other, right?" The blonde was nodding. "So, tell me what's going on in your head. Tell me you're not dying to eat that muscular hottie. And don't tell me it's because of Sara because you and the witch have nothing in common!"

"With Sara I have someone safe Lern, she reminds me that I am not alone." Valentina tried to explain the unexplainable.

"Well, you can't settle for that! You have the possibility of loving and being loved. Why would you let that go?" Sensitive mode activated.

"It's... it's scary Lern! Juliana is not a one-woman girl. You yourself have noticed how at least twenty strangers have looked at her today." The blonde couldn't help feeling jealous when she remembered how several of those women had flirted with Juliana.

"Yeah, I did see V, but she didn't pay attention to any of them! All morning she has been worrying about pleasing you and your daughter. Damn Valen, she just bought another stuffed animal for the girl." She pointed to the pink hippopotamus that Valentina was holding. "Just because the little demon made faces. And you? She doesn't take her eyes off you!"

"I don't know Lern, I don't know. We..."

"Mommy, Mommy!" Kara was running towards her mother. "Juliana says you have to hold my hand tightly because she's going to talk to the Lord of the Hippos."

Valentina took her daughter's hand and looked up to find Juliana talking to a man in his forties. They seemed to be talking about something important because Juliana was listening carefully with her head down and nodding to everything the man said. The blonde noticed Juliana wiping away a tear as the man hugged her for a few seconds and then let her go. When Valentina realised that the brunette was moving towards them, she pretended she hadn't been watching.

"Are you ready to see the baby hippo kiddo?" Juliana asked Kara while she took one of her hands. The girl without hesitation grabbed her mother with her other hand and the three of them went to the pool where Robert and Mr. Hippo, were waiting for them.

"Laur, are you thinking the same as me?" Camila asked her fiancée as she watched the scene in front of her.

"Yes my love, exactly the same!" Replied the green-eyed woman giving a short kiss to her future wife. "But I'm afraid it will take a while for these two to realise it," she took Camila's hand and they walked after the others.

"Robert these are my friends Valentina, Camila and Lauren. And this little cutie here is Kara."

"Nice to meet you. Juliana told me a lot about you. Do I understand that someone here wants to see Junior?" Asked the zoologist referring to the new-born hippo.

"Me, me, me!" Kara raised her hand and jumped excitedly. Camila's palms could also be heard as she clapped with excitement.

"Very well then, you will have to accompany me in here." Robert guided them through a door. Once inside they could see an enormous pool and inside it, a huge Hippo and much smaller one next to it.

"There are still a few days to go before we let him out, but we're going to give you the sneak peek just for being Juliana's friends." Kara quickly approached the pool, Valentina tried to go after her to protect her, but Juliana arrived quicker and held the girl from behind. While Lauren did the same with Camila. Valentina stayed a few steps behind admiring how Juliana took care of her daughter.

"You know, she's exactly like her parents..." It was the zoologist who pulled Valentina from her thoughts, "she has a huge heart. She is capable of giving her life for the people she loves."

"Did you know her parents?" Valentina saw the opportunity to inquire about the scene she had witnessed before.

"Know them? I'd say they saved my life. Thanks to Macario and Guadalupe, today I am what I am. They helped me to cope with my gambling addiction and well here I am." He lifted his shoulders. "Let me tell you something miss..."

"Carvajal," added Valentina.

"Miss Carvajal. That woman there..." he pointed to Juliana, who at this moment was very busy trying to prevent Kara from jumping into the pool to swim with Junior, "that woman may seem very strong, she may seem that nothing and no one can harm her, but when I look at her, I still see that fifteen year-old girl who did not move from her parents' grave for a whole day. That devastated young woman who moved to London during one of the worst moments of her life."

"I'm sorry, but why are you telling me this?" Valentina asked, still contemplating the man's words.

"Because I can see how you look at her. I can see how she looks at you and I don't want Juliana to suffer. So if you let me give you some advice Valentina. When the time comes, and I know it will come, take care of that girl's heart, dedicate time to it, pamper it, enjoy it and above all else, love it. And I assure you that Juliana will make you the happiest woman on earth." He walked back to the group at the pool to share some facts about Junior.

 _'_ _Love it', 'love it_ _,'_ those were the words echoing through Valentina's ears.

** After the zoo - Valentina's Apartment **

"Cheerleaders? You three?" Juliana asked, curious about the stories she was hearing from the trio. After the zoo, she had decided to go back to the photographer's apartment to eat. Once again Kara had fallen asleep in Juliana's arms and now there were only the four women in the kitchen.

"Hey, I don't know why you are so surprised Valdes," added Lauren who was sitting opposite Juliana and next to Camila. "I could kick your ass at any time. Also, at that time everyone was afraid of us. Even the blonde with her angelic face." The green-eyed woman pointed to Valentina who was sitting on a chair next to the athlete. "She raised a finger and the entire high school were at her feet!"

"Yeah, I don't doubt that!" She looked at the blonde, "When the Carvajal women want something, they can have whatever they want!"

"And you?" Valentina asked Juliana.

"What about me?" Asked the brunette without taking her eyes off the sushi roll she was about to put into her mouth.

"I mean... what were you like at school?" Valentina knew she was getting into delicate territory, but she couldn't help wanting to know more about Juliana's life. To the surprise of the rest, Juliana did not take long to respond. Nor did she hesitate.

"Hmm... very normal. The first year here in New York was nothing special, I was just playing basketball, going to parties from time to time and what is usually done at that age. However, after my parents' accident, it was different. After a while I went to live in London and graduated there."

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Camila's question came out of nowhere and surprised everyone.

"Camila..." Valentina scolded, "we don't even know if Juliana likes women!" Valentina lied, as soon as they knew the brunette's name they had Googled everything they could about her.

"I've been gay my entire life. In fact, my mother used to say that as soon as I was born, I was flirting with the nurses." Juliana recalled with a smile. "And no. I do not have a girlfriend," added the brunette.

"Did your parents know?" This time it was Lauren who was curious and asked.

"My parents? Yes of course. I still remember the day I told them 'Mom, Dad I think I like women' I was fourteen years old," she recalled naturally.

"And what did they say?" At this point they were all involved in the story.

Juliana laughed. She would never forget that day. "They looked at each other as if saying 'Tell us something we don't know!' and then my father asked me, 'You think? Why do you think that?' I looked at them and told them that I thought I liked women because they awakened things in me, but I hadn't been with anyone yet."

"AND?" Valentina asked, wanting the brunette to continue with her story.

"And that night they took me to a strip club!" She said as if she were reading a fucking story.

"WHAT?!" This time it was all three. Valentina almost choked.

"What? They took me to a strip club." Juliana smiled at the reaction of the others. She loved telling that story because it always had the same impact. The truth was, her parents were great.

"AND?" Now it was Lauren who asked.

"Final verdict of the night: ONE HUNDRED PERCENT GAY!" Juliana concluded very proud.

"Amen sister!" Lauren added and put her hand up for Juliana to high five. Obviously she reciprocated.

"Actually, after my first time, do you know what my parents did?" The brunette asked the other three who looked at her curiously without knowing what to expect. "They organised a party for me, there was a giant banner that said 'CONGRATULATIONS'. My parents were something else. They never had a problem with those things, for them talking about sex was as if they were talking about my father's surgery the day before or about Mom's new play." This time Juliana lowered her head sadly. When many memories flooded her, she found it difficult to handle them. "Can I use your bathroom?" She asked the blonde.

"Yeah, of course, you know where it is right?" Valentina realised that Juliana needed a few minutes alone. The basketball player nodded and went down the hall.

"Wow!" Lauren said. "And I thought my parents were great for having accepted me without a tantrum!"

Just then, Juliana's cell phone started ringing. Valentina lifted it and read the name on the screen, 'Blonde at bar on Sunday' and without thinking twice she answered.

"Hello." Valentina answered without paying attention to the reproachful looks of her friends.

"Hello beautiful brunette. Do you know how much I'm missing your hands? It's about time you reminded me what a good orgasm feels like. See you tonight right?" The voice on the other side of the cell phone asked in a sensual way.

Valentina, hearing sounds from the bathroom, cut the call. But it was too late, what she had heard woke up the green monster of jealousy in Valentina.

"Well, I better go, the real training starts tomorrow. We are one month away from the start of the tournament." Juliana told the girls trying to forget about her parents.

"Yes, of course you are going home to rest right?" Valentina asked sarcastically.

"Eh..." Juliana looked at the couple to see if everything was okay and then back to Valentina. "Yeah, I'm going home to rest, are you okay?" Asked the brunette when she saw the angry face that the photographer wore.

"I'm perfect, in fact, I think I'm going to call Sara to see if she wants to give me a good orgasm tonight!" Not even Valentina could believe what she was saying. She tried to avoid Lauren's gaze.

Juliana when hearing 'Sara' and 'orgasm' in the same sentence did not hesitate to speak, "Good for you, just try not to do it with Kara around. I don't want you to scare the girl."

"Excuse me?... Are you going to give me motherly advice? I'm not the one who hops from bed to bed, scaring God knows how many children of single mothers with whom you sleep with every night! Like the 'Sunday girl!'"

"Hey, watch what you say Valentina!" She pointed at her.

"Don't tell me what to do. I'm warning you Juliana, I don't want Kara to meet any of the sluts you're sleeping with. Because if she does, you can forget about her. I don't want Kara to become someone like you!" Valentina realised as soon as the words left her mouth that she had crossed a line. It was jealousy that was speaking for her. "Juliana... I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." She tried to apologise quickly.

"Leave it Valentina, just leave it, I understand!" She grabbed her jacket. "I better go. See you later," she said goodbye to Lauren and Camila and walked to the door. The blonde waited for a greeting that never came. "I will collect Kara after school. If you decide you don't want me to, can you please send me a message." It was the last thing she said before opening the door and leaving.

"Juliana..." Valentina murmured, but it was too late.


	11. 11. You're my Prisoner!

** The following Saturday - Jess's Bar **

Lauren, Camila, Sara and Valentina were practically being dragged by Kara to the bar. Valentina had suggested going out for breakfast and the girl would not stop until they agreed to follow her.

"Can you tell me where we're going?" Lauren asked as she looked to cross the street.

"I don't know Lern. According to my daughter, this place makes the best chocolate milk in the world!" She explained to the green-eyed woman without taking her eyes off her daughter holding Camila's hand.

"Let me guess, Juliana right?"

"Yip! Lately everything Kara does is Juliana related." Valentina continued.

"Just Kara?" Lauren added quietly.

"Don't start Lern," she cut her off quickly.

"Did you apologise to her? You know she's over what you said, right? We met her recently. Juliana would never do anything to affect Kara and you know it Valentina. Lionel Messi, from his house in Barcelona can see how much Juliana loves the little devil." The Latina had been encouraging the blonde to reconcile with the brunette for several days. But she knew it would be difficult with Valentina's enormous pride.

"No. And I'm not going to either. When I wanted to do it she turned around and left. Nobody ignores a Carvajal and you know it! I don't want to talk about anymore Lauren. Sara, can you hurry up? I am going to smash your fucking cell phone against the wall!" Valentina wanted to avoid the subject of Juliana at all costs.

"Hey honey, it was a very important call. Can you believe they tweeted a picture of Pippa Middleton wearing a jacket from last seasons? Last season! How embarrassing!" Apparently for Sara this was news.

Lauren looked at Valentina. "Really V? Really?! I think you should work on those apologies immediately!" She stepped forward to walk with her niece and fiancée.

"What's wrong with her? What apology is she talking about?" Asked the curious model.

"Nothing Sara, it doesn't matter. Come on, let's go have breakfast." She grabbed her girlfriend's hand and walked to the door of the bar.

As they arrived at the bar, Kara stepped up to open the door, remembering _Juliana's lesson #1. "_ After you ladies," she said, opening the door for two women, then for her family. She resisted the desire to close the door in Sara's face.

The two women muttered something like, "What a sweet little girl," and smiled.

Valentina and Lauren exchanged looks of terror. "Hey, your daughter is a Don Juan." Lauren joked.

"Lauren she is just being polite!" Valentina replied, rolling her eyes.

At that moment, Jess's voice was heard greeting the little girl from the bar, "Hello beautiful!"

And _Juliana's lesson #12: 'If a young lady greets us, we respond.' "_ Hello pretty!!" Kara answered.

"Did you say polite V?" Lauren asked her friend.

"Shut up Lauren! I'm going to have a serious conversation with Juliana!" Said the blonde as she followed the others to a table.

Jess approached them. "Good morning ladies! What can I get for you? Apart from a chocolate milk and many cookies for the little princess at the bar," said the waitress pointing at Kara. The girl nodded with a huge smile. Jess always gave her more cookies than the other customers.

"I also want a chocolate milk with many cookies please." The waitress wrote down Camila's order.

"A black coffee for me," said the Latina.

"Same," said Sara.

"And a latte for me. Please do not give Kara too many cookies." Kara looked devastated.

"You must be the famous Valentina?" Asked the waitress.

"And why am I famous?" Questioned the blonde.

"Well, Juliana and the little princess at the bar, are always talking about you," Jess explained, making the blonde blush.

"Can you hurry up with our orders please, we don't have all day to sit in this filthy place." Sara hadn't liked hearing Juliana's name at all.

"Hey you! Be nice to Jess!" The little Carvajal was on the attack. _Juliana's Lesson #33: 'We always defend our friends_.'

"Don't worry kangaroo. I'll be right back with your orders," the waitress tried to soften the atmosphere, she ruffled the girl's hair and left.

"Valentina, are you going to let the girl talk to me like that?" The model asked her girlfriend.

"You attacked first Sara, leave Kara alone!" Valentina put an end to the little dispute. Deviously her daughter stuck her tongue out at her girlfriend and high-fived Lauren under the table.

While they were all enjoying their breakfasts, except for Kara who had fewer cookies than usual, a cry from the girl woke them up, "IT'S JULS. JULIANA! JULIANAA!" The little girl jumped up from the table and ran to her favourite person.

The rest of the table turned to look. Sure enough, the brunette had just arrived from her run, with her tight sports outfit and sweaty body, she crossed the bar in search of a bottle of water.

When Juliana spotted Kara, a huge smile appeared on her face. Prepared for what was coming she turned quickly and caught the little kangaroo mid jump.

"Brilliant, that's all we were missing!" Sara muttered, earning a disapproving look from Camila and Lauren.

Valentina stared as Juliana lifted Kara on to the bar and they began to chat excitedly. Jess also joined in the conversation. The photographer couldn't help but wish she was there instead of the waitress. She had been absorbed in her own thoughts when she felt a kick under the table. Lauren had noticed dreamy look on her face and decided to warn her that the brunette and her daughter were heading towards their table. The blonde quickly turned to pay attention to her breakfast.

"Good morning." Juliana greeted as she sat on one of the spare chairs, allowing Kara to settle on top of her as usual. There was no competition, Juliana was Kara's favourite chair.

"Juls, how nice to see you!" Camila greeted her with a kiss. "Will you have breakfast with us?"

"Of course Mila, I think the little devil had already anticipated my arrival." Explained the brunette tickling the little girl.

"Excuse me, but I don't think you should stay. This is a family breakfast!" Sara spoke and this time she earned more than one hateful look.

"So why are you here?" The brunette answered.

"Well, the funny thing is, I am Valentina's girlfriend!" Replied the brunette.

"Well, it turns out that I don't really care what you are! I am only here for Kara, and if Kara wants me to stay, I'll stay and neither you nor your girlfriend are going to prevent me. Do you hear me? Or do you want me to repeat it?" This comment was directed at several recipients.

"Okay, okay. Stop, please!" Valentina interrupted. "Sara!" She turned to her girlfriend. "Juliana stays with us, period. Can we finish breakfast in peace?" This time she addressed the entire table. Just as Jess appeared with Juliana's order.

"A mineral water for the hottie with tremendous legs!" Winked the waitress.

"Amen sister!" Lauren added, raising her hand to connect it with the waitresses. In those running shorts the brunette had earned more than one lustful look as she crossed the bar. Including everyone at their table.

"Hey Juli, since you are here, I have to tell you our game this afternoon was cancelled." Jess informed her.

"What? Why?" Asked the athlete.

"Apparently the other team doesn't want to play against us. They are afraid of us!" The waitress said with a wink.

"Do you have a game today? I didn't think the season had started yet?" The green-eyed woman entered the conversation.

"No. It's not basketball. It's Paintball. Jess and I play once a month. It's good fun!" Explained the brunette, "but it seems they have cancelled on us today," she opened the bottle and began to drink.

"Paintball? Really? Did you hear that V?" The green-eyed woman asked her friend, "We should play. We were one of the best teams in Miami." Suddenly a stream of water flew from Juliana's mouth straight at Sara.

"What are you doing, asshole? You soaked my new jacket!" Protested the model trying to dry herself with some napkins.

"I'm sorry... it's just... it's just..." Juliana tried to control her laughter and speak, but between Lauren's statement and the look on Sara's face she simply couldn't. Even Kara laughed with her. She took a breath and finally spoke, "You play paintball?" The three friends looked at each other while Sara continued trying to dry herself.

"And why are you laughing?" Asked Valentina. She did not like to be laughed at.

Jess and Juliana looked at each other. "Do not be offended, but you seem too lady like for that." Jess said with a contemptuous air, "We are used to more... well, more of a challenge!"

Oh Jess did not know who she just messed with. Nobody, but absolutely nobody challenges Lauren Jauregui. And much less when she is with Valentina Carvajal.

"I'm sorry?!" Now they made Valentina angry. "Are you afraid of us? Because that's what it sounds like!"

"No, Valentina. Make no mistake, it's not fear!" Juliana answered for her friend. "It's just that we are very good, and we never lose!" Juliana knew what she was doing, pissing off the two cheerleaders was becoming her specialty. "Also, we don't want delicate ladies like you breaking a nail or get your expensive dresses dirty!"

"Yes mom. Juls is very strong!" Added the little girl, complicating things further. The trio of women were not happy with what they had heard.

"Watch what you say, Valdés, and you too dwarf! Tell us the time and the place, because these 'ladies' are going to make you swallow paint!" Lauren got up from the table. "Vale, start calling our friends, we are going to kick some ass! Come on Camzi Camz," she grabbed her girlfriend's hand and started leading her towards the door.

"Bye Juls, don't worry, Lolo wasn't serious, she's not really going to make you swallow paint," Camila explained. "But we are going to beat you."

"Mommy, mommy! Can I stay with Juliana?" Kara asked still sitting on the brunettes knee.

"Eh, I don't know Kara. Do you mind?" She asked Juliana, looking directly at her for the first time that day.

"Mind? Of course not, I'd love to take her. Also, it'll give you time to focus and prepare yourself... I may have to shoot you Carvajal! I wouldn't want to see you beg me not to!"

"Believe me brunette, you will never hear pleading words come out of this mouth!" Valentina finished. She said goodbye to her daughter and walked out the door swinging her hips as always.

"This is going to be interesting right?" Jess asked excitedly.

"Very interesting!" Added Juliana, who again fell into the trap of Carvajal's butt.

** Saturday afternoon - Paintball **

Team Derek, Shane, Sam, Mariana, Sara, Camila, Lauren and Valentina finally arrived at the showdown. After calling her friends Lauren and the photographer started discussing old battle tactics, she couldn't lose. They could not bear to lose and even more so to an arrogant Juliana.

"There they are," Lauren said pointing to a group where Jess could be seen. Although there was no sign of the basketball player.

"Well, well, well, I see you did not chicken out!" The waitress from the bar greeted them. "Girls these are our rivals today!" Jess told her group. They greeted each other politely while weighing up their opponents.

"Hey Jess, I thought you were going to find us something more challenging! Are you sure they're are not lost?" A blonde from the opposing group approached to inspect them.

"I also thought this was going to be a challenge, but apparently it won't take very long, right Vale?" Lauren asked her friend. Bitch mode activated.

"Right Lern. We will be home early for dinner it seems. This is going to be boring!" Said Valentina, imitating a yawn.

Jess and the other blonde looked at each other and started laughing. "Well, if you think so! Would the Barbies be too scared to place a bet?" The other team provoked.

"You just have to say how much." Sam stuck his chest out for the boys.

"Hmm... how about the losing team pays for everyone's dinner?" Jess said as an option.

The team looked at each other and nodded. Just as the bet was agreed a jeep arrived with the brunette and a small blonde by her side.

"Whoa, finally something interesting to look at." The blonde from Jess's team looked at Juliana with knife and fork in hand.

When Valentina saw her daughter and Juliana both wearing military pants, black muscle shirts and a red scarf as a headband, she could not help but smile.

"Mommy! Ma! Look at me!" Kara ran to her mother. "Juls says I'm a mini Rambo. I can play with you?" The girl knew with her pouting face she could get almost anything.

"I already told you mini Rambo, later I will teach you how to shoot but first you have to watch. You are too young to play with us." Juliana came to Valentina's side and explained again why the little girl couldn't play.

Valentina nodded without being able to take her eyes off Juliana, "Yes honey. Juliana is right." The girl pouted and went to greet the others.

"Look who we have here," the other blonde appeared again. "If it isn't THE Juliana Valdés!" She approached and greeted her with a provocative kiss.

"Ehh, how are you Anabel?" Answered the brunette.

"Isabel, Juliana, Is-a-bel! She corrected her indignantly as she watched Valentina smile at the mistake. "But let's see if it stays with you from screaming it tonight!" She said very softly to the brunette, but the photographer managed to overhear her. When she passed near Valentina she added, "And now who is laughing Barbie?"

"Well, are we playing or not?" Juliana wanted to get out of this situation as soon as possible.

"WAIT A MINUTE!" Valentina shouted making everyone turn to look at her. "I want to add something to the bet."

"What are you doing Valen? It wasn't that bad!" Shane said in her ear.

"Okay Barbie. What do you want to add?" Isabel asked laughing.

"No team member who loses can have sex during this week starting today!" The protests began immediately. And not just from the opposing team.

"Have you gone crazy or what V? What are you doing? If my nights of passion are suspended because of you, I swear that I will not be responsible for the orphan daughter you leave behind! Do you hear me?" Lauren couldn't believe what she had heard.

"What are you saying Valen, you are kidding right?" This time it was Mariana who asked.

"Relax. I know what I'm doing!" She really had no idea what she was doing! The thought of Juliana spending the night with that blonde bitch, made her want to grab the gun and shoot her between the eyes.

"Valentina, are you sure you know what you're doing? I wouldn't want to deprive you of... how did you put it? Oh yeah, your 'orgasms' with Sara!" She mocked.

"What's wrong? Are you scared now? Weren't you invincible? Besides, I'm sure that bitch won't mind waiting another week for you!" Valentina was provoking her. This seemed more of a personal gamble than anything else.

Juliana looked at her intently trying to read her. Did she sense jealousy?

"Deal! I accept the bet!" Everyone around them protested.

"Well then, LET'S PLAY!" Jess yelled.

It was a wide field full of obstacles, several trees and many places to protect yourself. At each end of the field there were small shelters that contained a flag, the opposing team had to steal the flag to win the game. Of course, if you got shot with paint, you were out of the game. Players who left the game had to watch it from the outside.

After an hour of the game, five of Juliana's teammates had been taken out. Whereas only Shane, Mariana and Derek had been relegated to watch the game from outside with Kara.

"LET'S GO JULS!" The little girl encouraged her friend.

"Did you hear her? Did you hear? Anyone would think that she was not my daughter!" Valentina complained from her hiding spot. "Treacherous little rat! There'll be no ice-cream for her!"

"Calm down Valen, she's doing it because she knows they are losing." Camila explained.

"There are only Jess, the other stupid blonde and Juliana left, this is a breeze! Let's get this over with so I can eat for free, then take my beautiful fiancée home for lots of sex!"

"I'm out!" Shouted Sam.

"Shit, one less." Lauren sighed, "We need to split up, Camila and I will go to the left. Valentina, you go to the right and Sara, you stay and defend the shelter, okay? The others nodded and separated.

"Lolo. Lo-loo!" Camila tried to get her girlfriend's attention.

"Shhh Camz don't make do much noise!" The green-eyed woman shut her up.

"But I have a stain on my clothes..." Lauren looked at her girlfriend, with a green stain on her chest. She looked around and saw Jess trying to run away, she aimed and shot the retreating woman.

"YESSS! YOU ARE OUT! Better luck next time, enjoy your abstinence! Nobody shoots my fiancée and lives, do you hear me?" The Latina scoffed but felt a slight buzz to her chest, she looked down, and there it was... green paint! She raised her head and saw Juliana laughing.

"You shouldn't mock so loudly Lern!" She winked and disappeared behind a wooden barricade.

"Damn it. I'M OUT!" She announced and walked away cursing the brunette.

When Valentina heard her friend's announcement, she decided to return to the shelter and regroup with her girlfriend. As she crept towards their bunker, she saw the stupid blonde slowly approaching the shelter, she pointed and...

"YES! Bye bye, Isabella!" She said softly to herself. She wasn't going to make the same mistake as Lauren.

"GOD DAMN IT. I'M OUT!" Shouted the blonde, followed by another, "I'M OUT!" This time from Sara.

"What? Sara's out? Where did that voice come from? Then it's only Juliana and I left." Valentina reasoned. Step by step she slowly approached her own refuge. She needed to think of how to surprise the brunette. When she entered the shelter she walked towards their flag...

"Are you looking for me?" Was whispered in her ear. She recognised the brunette's voice.

Valentina wanted to turn around to shoot her, but instead found her forehead pressed against the wall and her hands pulled behind her back.

"Uh-uh. I wouldn't do that. Now you are my prisoner!" Juliana whispered again in the photographer's ear. She pulled the gun from her and tossed it away.

"Juliana, just shoot me and grab the flag. You win!" Valentina said, obviously frustrated and trying to get the brunette off her back.

"I don't know if I want to," Juliana explained. "Although I LOVE the idea of you not touching the model for a week..." She emphasised the 'I love', "I don't know if I can shoot you. You're too cute to die," the brunette joked as she spoke very close to Valentina's ear.

"Stop messing around and finish the game now!" Juliana's proximity was making her body vibrate.

On the contrary, Juliana tightened her body to Valentina's. "I'm going to give you two options..." again whispered very close to her ear. " _One_ : You apologise for the other night, I let you go and you give up, so I don't have to shoot you. Or _two..."_ she turned the blonde to face her. "YOU are going to have to forgive ME for two things!" She finished explaining the options.

"Not even in your wildest dreams will I apologise Valdés! And no way will you ever see me surrender! So, forget it!" The blonde provoked.

"Okay, option two then. You're going to have to forgive me for two things." She forcefully grabbed the blonde by the face and gave her a short but intense kiss. Valentina could not react. She froze. "For this..." Juliana said once the kiss was over. "And for this..." she lifted the gun and shot. "You're out blondie!" Said the brunette winking, "Better luck next time!" She grabbed the flag and left.


	12. 12. Are you Crazy, Drunk or What?

** Paintball Field - 5 minutes before Juliana's victory **

"God, Alla, Buddha, Morpheus and whatever other God is listening to me, please don't let the sweetie win! I want one more night with Camz! Did I say want? I meant NEED one more night with Camz!" Lauren prayed at the side of the field while waiting for the game to end.

"For God's sake Lauren stop overreacting! It's only a week!" Shane said casually.

"ONE WEEK SHANE, ONE WEEK! Do you know what it's like to spend a week without sex? I Lauren Jauregui, LIVE on sex. I am the female Tiger Woods, do you understand?" At this point the Latina had already lost all kinds of sanity.

Kara, who was still attentive to the game, was the first to notice Juliana leaving the field, "IT'S JULIANA!" She ran towards the brunette and as always jumped on her.

"And she brought a flag, that means... WE WON!" Yelled Jess. The rest of her group joined in the celebration.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" It was the end of the world for the Latina. "YOU!" She pointed at Valentina, who was trying her best to avoid watching Isabel hug Juliana. "This is your fault! Who the hell do you think you are making that bet?!" She accused her friend.

"Me? Maybe next time YOU will learn to shut your mouth! If you hadn't been so loud you would not have been shot and put out of the game. Even I heard your booming voice!" Valentina defended herself.

"Look at Mariana!" The girl was crouched at the height of her boyfriend's abdomen saying goodbye to each of his abs. "If those two divorce, you are going to carry the guilt for life Valentina. FOR LIFE!"

"Lolo calm down, stop overreacting! It's not Valentina's fault. We are a team and we all lost." Camila didn't like her friends fighting.

"Yes, it is her fault. And you..." she pointed to her fiancée. "Don't come near me! For this week, you have to keep a metre away from me at all times! You are forbidden to wear those leggings that you wear when you dance, and you are forbidden to wear any type of low neckline. Do you hear me? EVERYTHING covered, I don't want to see an inch of skin!" She warned her girlfriend, folded her arms and turned her back to her. The others all rolled their eyes at Lauren's dramatics.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this beautiful moment..." Jess said with a mocking smile, "but we, THE WINNERS, are hungry and if I remember correctly you have to buy us dinner! So, shall we all go to the bar?"

"I'm going to stay here for a while. Mini Rambo and I are going to take some shots. If that's okay with you Valentina?" She asked the blonde.

Valentina looked at her daughter and knew she couldn't say no, "Yeah okay, but be careful!"

"Yess!" The brunette and the little girl celebrated. "See you later," the brunette left a kiss on Valentina's cheek, "Come on little Rambo."

The blonde stood enjoying the image of her daughter with Juliana. Kara was aiming for the target but she missed in favour of shooting Juliana, the brunette then fell unconscious to the ground. When Kara approached her, the athlete jumped up and began to chase her.

"Nice picture, right?" An unpleasant voice brought Valentina out of her perfect dreamy state. It was the stupid blonde. Valentina only limited herself to a smile.

"You know she will do the same to you, that she does to everyone?" Isabel spoke again, "She will conquer you, she will make you fall in love, she will take you to bed and then, she will not even remember your name!"

"And that is your business, because?" Valentina tried not to show that her words had affected her a lot.

"Listen Blondie, take my advice, okay? That is what Juliana does with women, ask anyone. She is a bitch!" With her last statement she turned and walked away leaving Valentina a mess.

She looked back at her daughter and the brunette who were now practicing their shooting against the wall. _'Ahhh! You have to forget her Valentina! You have Sara. You have to forget about Juliana!'_ She firmly told herself while walking towards her car. When she saw that Sara was leaning on the car waiting for her, she went to her and without hesitation gave her a kiss which the model gladly deepened. She convinced herself that she HAD to forget about Juliana.

"Ehh, Valentina?" Shit, caught red-handed, "I'm sorry, I was just coming to ask if Kara could stay with me tonight?" Juliana said quickly, looking away from the couple.

"Juliana..." the blonde didn't know what to say. Perhaps it was better that Juliana had seen them.

"Don't worry, you can let me know later. Bye." She returned to the field quickly. She couldn't allow them to see the anger in her eyes. _'I have to forget about Valentina. I need to forget about her!'_

** Three weeks later - Valentina's Apartment **

Lauren, Camila, Derek, Mariana, Sam, and Shane were waiting for Valentina to return with Kara. The two Carvajal's along with Sara had gone to lunch with Kara's father Lucho. He and his partner Sergio had come to New York to visit his daughter.

The group were waiting for their return as there was a good chance that Kara would spend the night with her father and therefore, they could organise a crazy night out. They had not been out together as a group in a long time. They were watching TV when the door opened and the screaming started.

"KARA CARVAJAL, YOU ARE GROUNDED! GO TIDY YOUR ROOM! THEN PREPARE YOUR THINGS, YOUR FATHER WILL PICK YOU UP IN AN HOUR!" Oh God, Valentina Carvajal was angry, everyone to their shelters.

"AND CAN I KNOW WHY THE HELL I AM BEING PUNISHED? AND I DON'T WANT TO GO WITH PAPA BECAUSE JUIANA IS PICKING ME UP TO GO TO THE CONCERT!" Oh no, Kara Carvajal was also angry. Two angry Carvajal cannot be good.

The group inside the apartment observed the conversation like a tennis match, their heads moving from side to side. This was not just a Nadal vs. Federer game, oh no this was a heated contest with Carvajal Sr vs. Carvajal Jr.

"YOU ARE PUNISHED BECAUSE I SAY SO. I AM YOUR MOTHER SO YOU WILL DO WHAT YOU ARE TOLD. AND THAT BETTER BE THE LAST TIME YOU SAY A BAD WORD!" Valentina hit a fastball directly to her daughter, who didn't seem to have an answer.

"JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE MY MOTHER, I HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU WANT?" But Kara returned the serve very carefully.

"YES! JUST FOR THAT! I WILL NOT REPEAT IT AGAIN, YOU ARE GOING TO TIDY YOUR ROOM AND PREPARE YOUR THINGS TO GO WITH YOUR FATHER!" Valentina responded with a backhand, it seems she is about to win the game.

"I DO NOT WANT TO REPEAT MYSELF AGAIN EITHER! I DO NOT WANT TO GO WITH PAPA BECAUSE I AM GOING WITH JULIANA TO THE CON-CER-T! PLUS, YOU TOLD JULIANA ON FRIDAY THAT I COULD GO!" The girl answered her mother's attack very skilfully, with a defensive return she left the ball back in the court of the older blonde.

"GO TO YOUR ROOM NOW AND PREPARE YOUR BAG, BECAUSE THE ONLY PERSON YOU ARE GOING OUT WITH IS YOUR FATHER! NO CONCERT TONIGHT! DO YOU HEAR ME? NO CON-CER-T!" Match point for Valentina.

"AAGGHHH!" Kara left the room. Carvajal senior wins.

Valentina turned her head and noticed how her friends had been entertained with the 'show'.

"What was that? Why are you punishing her?" Lauren questioned.

"Because she made a scene today, that is why she is being punished." Valentina answered as she threw herself down on the couch. She took a deep breath before starting to explain the events she had experienced with her daughter that day.

"Well... during lunch, all Kara wanted to talk about was Juliana! Juliana this, Juliana that, with Juliana I do this, Juliana says that...! You should have seen Sara and Sergio's faces. Jealousy radiated from their pores." Valentina recalled, gestures included.

"AND?" Sam asked confused. "We are all used to hearing Kara talk about Juliana," the presence of the athlete in Kara's life had become a constant for her friends. They also enjoyed Juliana's company, so didn't see the problem.

"Can you let me finish?" Asked an irritated Valentina.

"We had just finished lunch when Sara had the stupid idea to play the game 'The Beast'. Kara and Juliana's game! You know the game where Juliana suddenly falls to the floor pretending to pass out? Then when Kara tries to wake her, Juliana resurrects as a Beast and chases my daughter everywhere?" The blonde described the game invented by Juliana and her daughter.

"Ah. Yeah, I love that game!" Camila interrupted this time, "The only way to stop 'the beast' is when I dance or if Kara laughs sincerely!" The dancer enthusiastically told her other friends.

"Hey! I can stop her too. By being a bitch!" Added Lauren, remembering the role she had in the game Juliana invented.

"Yes, but Lolo, that almost never works!" Added Camila.

"It doesn't work because the hottie is very fast and I don't have enough time to go full Lima High on her ass!" Lauren explained as her friends begin to laugh.

"Are you going to let me finish my story or not?!" The last thing Valentina needed was to find out that all her friends also loved the basketball player. Especially when the only words said between the two of them were hello and goodbye.

"Sorry Valen, continue with your story." Mariana added trying to hold her laugh.

Valentina sighed again, "As I was saying, Sara had no better idea than to imitate the game and threw herself on the floor yelling at Kara to run because 'the monster' was coming! That is how original my girlfriend is! But what did my daughter do?" Valentina could already hear the laughter that her friends were trying to control. "She looked at me, rolled her eyes and asked Sara, 'Are you crazy, drunk or what?'"

The living room erupted in laughter. Even Valentina couldn't help but smile remembering her daughter's question.

"You should have heard her, she even used the same tone as Juliana and everything..."

"Well Valen, you can't blame the girl for that! Trying to imitate 'the beast' was a pretty stupid idea!" Lauren reasoned with a laugh.

"Yes, it was. But that was not the only thing that happened! Things got worse because Kara took out the cell phone that Juliana gave her and began texting her and laughing at their conversation. Then, to top it off..." Valentina continued when she saw that Derek was about to interrupt her. "Sergio gave her the gift they had brought. Clothes."

"Clothes?" This time it was Shane who asked. "But who would bring clothes as a gift for a seven year old girl?"

"Yes clothes. But thankfully Kara didn't say anything about them, it was the other gift they gave her when she became unpleasant."

"Well, spill! What was it?" Lauren urged Valentina.

"The other gift was a video game," her friends didn't understand why Kara wouldn't like that gift, she and Juliana played video games every day.

"Kara looked at the cover to see what it was about. When she got tired, she started asking her father and Sergio questions about it. 'Do you kill zombies?' 'Do you run over people?' 'Do you fight emperors?' 'Do you skate or pretend to fly?' All the types of video games that Juliana plays with her. But Sergio told her it was an educational game, that a squirrel would teach her how to multiply. At first Kara didn't say anything. But then she looked at me, rolled her eyes, looked at them with a mocking smile identical to Juliana's, and said, 'This a joke right?'"

Laughter erupted in the room again.

"Hahaha. She kills me. That girl kills me!" Derek said rolling on the ground with laughter.

"Wait, wait because there is more! While we were out for lunch, the waitress serving us dropped her notebook. Well, Kara, MY DAUGHTER, bent down, picked it up and said, 'Here you are, pretty.' Lucho and Sergio looked at me as if I were raising the spawn of Satan! You can stop holding back the laughter, I can see you all!" Added Valentina.

"Hahahahahaha!" At this point the laughter could not be distinguished. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

"Well it is true... that little girl is devilish." Sam commented.

The knock on the door quietened the group, but not completely. Valentina was the one who got up from the sofa to open the door. She knew it was the brunette.

"Hello." Valentina greeted shyly. Since the Paintball game, words were scarce between them.

"Hey," Juliana answered, "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, of course you can, come in." Valentina closed the door behind her. She examined the brunette's outfit as she followed behind her. Juliana wore tight white jeans with a black t-shirt and converse shoes of the same colour. ' _More beautiful than ever_ _,'_ the blonde thought.

"But look who we have here. If it's not the woman of the moment!" Lauren joked.

"Woman of the moment?" Juliana enquired.

"Nothing, ignore her!" Valentina came into the room. "Lauren stop annoying her."

"Well, where is my little kangaroo? We have to hurry if we want to get to the concert on time."

"Well, I'm sorry Juliana, but Kara is not going with you." The blonde communicated.

"What? Why? Did something happen to her? I told Nikki to stop buying her candy because she was going to get sick." Nikki was Juliana's teammate and they spent a lot of their free time together. She was a good friend.

"Candy? Valdés are you giving my daughter candy?" Valentina got off topic.

"Eh, eh... Valentina did something happened to Kara or not? You're killing me here." Juliana tried to change the conversation back.

"Nothing happened to her, but she is being punished," this time she let the candy issue go.

"What? Punished? Are you crazy, drunk or what?" At her last question, laughter erupted from the friends observing the conversation. When Valentina shot them the death glare with the raised eyebrow, they reined in the laughter.

"First: I am not at any of those things! And second: I do not have to explain anything to you, I decide what my daughter can or cannot do!"

Juliana realised she would not achieve anything if she continued the argument. She had to try another strategy. "Valentina please!" Juliana pouted making her best sad face. "That band only comes to New York once a year and the drummer has an amazing solo that I wanted to show Kara. Please, you have to let her go. Please, please, please!" She looked at the others in the room. "A little help here guys? Please!"

"Juliana, I will not change my mind, so don't insist. Kara is grounded!"

The brunette knelt at Valentina's feet. "Val please! Could you postpone the punishment until tomorrow? And you can even punish me too. Whatever you want!"

 _'_ _Val? I love when she calls me that. And on her knees. Oh Juliana, you have no idea of the punishments I am thinking about. You have no idea! Be strong Valentina. Do not succumb to that face, to that body, those eyes. Oh, God! Come on Carvajal.'_

"ENOUGH JULIANA, ENOUGH! I WILL NOT POSTPONE. SHE IS PUNISHED AND THAT'S IT!" Valentina denied, she could see the disappointment on the brunette's face.

"Well," she lowered her head sadly. "Will you at least let me see her for a while?" Juliana gave up.

"Won't you be late for the concert?" Asked Valentina.

"Honestly, if Kara can't come with me, it wouldn't be the same. So... can I go see her?"

With that answer Valentina could not refuse, "Yeah, go. She is in her room," said the blonde pointing towards the room. "But only for a little while."

"Do not look at me like that!" She warned her friends. They all looked at her like she was Cruella De Vil.

** A while later - Same place **

"Okay, so it's decided? We're going dancing?" Shane confirmed the plans with her friends.

"Yes!" Camila excitedly jumped on top of her fiancée.

As they finished making their plans for the night, Juliana came down very quietly with a bundle on her back covered with a sheet. "Okay, see you later!" She shouted walking fast towards the door.

"WAIT, WAIT!" Valentina stopped her, "Where are you going so fast?" Valentina approached the brunette slowly.

"Well, eh..." for every step forward the blonde made, Juliana took one backwards, "I have decided to go to the concert."

"Oh yeah? That's good. And do you plan to take that heavy bundle on your back?" Valentina pointed to the package.

"Whaaat this? Noooo it's not heavy at all! It's just some of Kara's clothes that she keeps at my house.

"Clothes you say?" Valentina approached Juliana's back. "I would swear I saw these clothes move!" Valentina touched the sheet and a soft laugh was heard in the living room. "What was that? Did the clothes just laugh?" Valentina began to tickle the bulge that was under the garment. And the laughter grew louder.

Valentina pulled the sheet to reveal her daughter clinging to Juliana. Everyone in the room started laughing. "How could you disobey me, you treacherous little rat?" Valentina was not angry, on the contrary, she could not hide her smile. She grabbed the girl, left her on the sofa and began to tickle her.

"Hahahaha, stop mom! Juls HELP! HELP ME!" The girl pleaded.

Juliana went to the sofa and began to tickle Valentina. When Kara could, she joined the brunette.

"Hahahaha, okay, okay, stop! Two against one is not fair! Hahahaha!"

"Does anyone else here think this scene is terribly and disgustingly adorable?" Lauren asked the rest of her friends and they all raised their hands.

"Okay seriously, enough!" The tickling stopped, "Kara say goodbye to Juliana, then go get the things you are taking to your dads."

"Yes Mommy, but before I go, I want to apologise for misbehaving with Sara, Sergio and Dad. When I see them, I will apologise to them too." The girl spoke sincerely. The others looked at her tenderly.

"Okay honey. You are forgiven." Valentina knew that Juliana had encouraged her daughter to apologise, "But you still have to serve the punishment. So, say goodbye to Juliana."

"Bye Juls!"

"Goodbye Pooh Bear." Juliana hugged her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you on Monday."

** That night in a bar chosen by the group **

"Honey, let's dance. Come on!"

"No Sara. I don't feel like it, I'm tired," the blonde told her girlfriend as she watched Lauren and Camila approach the table.

"Did you see who's here?" The Latina asked, pointing to a corner of the bar where there was a large group of women. Valentina looked among the group and there she was, Juliana Valdés. Who else could it be? She was sitting in one of the armchairs and next to her a girl was saying something in her ear.

"Okay Sara, let's dance!" The blonde grabbed her girlfriend and led her to the dance floor near the area where Juliana was.

"Weren't you tired?" Sara asked surprised.

"Didn't you want to dance? Well then, let's dance!" When they got close to the group, Valentina began to move very close to the model who easily matched her girlfriend's rhythm. Now the only thing she needed was for the brunette to see them. Which did not take long.

After Juliana's plans with Kara were cancelled, she decided to accept Nikki's invitation to go out with the group. She raised her head and found Valentina practically attacking Sara in front of her. Juliana could not tolerate the blatant display in front of her, she stood up and walked to the bar.

The photographer followed the movement of the brunette. "I'll be right back," she told her girlfriend and followed behind the brunette, leaving the model dancing alone.

"A Diet Coke please." Juliana asked the bartender.

"A glass of white wine for me please," the blonde asked the same man while standing next to Juliana.

"Did you get tired of rubbing against your girlfriend?" The anger of the brunette was obvious. She couldn't even look at the blonde.

"Why? Did you get tired of letting that girl stick her tongue in your ear?" Valentina answered venomously.

"At least I'm not humping her up against a car, like you did!" Juliana attacked.

"You are the last person to tell me who I can or can't hump! How was Isabel that night?" Valentina couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of the brunette and the stupid blonde together.

They looked at each other. Words were not necessary. The looks said everything.

"Here you go," interrupted the bartender, leaving the drinks on the bar. "That's thirty dollars," he added.

The athlete was faster the blonde and handed him the money for the drinks, she grabbed her glass and began to walk away.

"I don't need anyone to pay for me!" Valentina stopped the brunette by grabbing her arm. "How much do I owe you?" She asked looking into her brown eyes.

Juliana turned, with her free arm she grabbed the blonde around the waist and pulled her against her. She looked into her eyes and said, "Do you really want to know how much you owe me?" Asked the brunette without taking her eyes off those deep blue eyes. "Because you owe me much more than fifteen dollars! You owe me hours, days, weeks of time, time I've wasted thinking about you. You owe me nights that I can't sleep wondering why the hell you're not lying next to me. You owe me all the strength that you take from me every time you touch me. You owe me kisses, kisses that I scold myself for not stealing from you!"

The inevitable happened. The distance between their mouths decreased until their lips crashed together. At that moment they didn't give a damn who was looking at them, nothing mattered other than that kiss. A kiss that seemed to never end. Their mouths and tongues moved at a delicious rhythm. But all good things must come to an end.

"Valen, Valen!" Sam was the one to interrupt.

 _'_ _Why does someone always have to show up?'_ Thought Valentina.

 _'_ _Why the hell does someone always have to interrupt?'_ Juliana thought.

"Sorry for bothering you..." the man said looking at them. After separating, they couldn't keep their eyes off each other. "But Sara is looking for you, I came to let you know before she found you first!"

"Uh yeah, Sara." ' _My girlfriend. Sara my girlfriend! Why do I have a girlfriend?'_ Valentina felt Juliana's arm loosen until she released her completely. "I have to go," she said. "Come on Sam," she turned around and left. The man mouthed a sympathetic, 'Sorry!' to the athlete and followed his friend.

Juliana grabbed her drink and went back to her group.

"DUMB BLONDE! Where the hell were you?" Lauren scolded Valentina, "THIS CHICK HERE..." She pointed to the model, "HAS BEEN DRIVING US CRAZY WITH QUESTIONS!"

"I went to the bathroom!" Valentina lied and looked at Sam, "Shall we go?" The whole group nodded and began to walk towards the exit led by Lauren and Camila. Valentina and Sara were at the back of the group. Suddenly the blonde felt a slap on her butt. She turned around to see a young man smirking at her and his group of friends laughing crudely.

"What happened?" Her girlfriend asked when she felt how the other girl stopped.

"This idiot just touched my butt!" Valentina said with a look of hatred at the group of men who were still laughing.

"Let's go. Come on. Ignore them." Sara was pulling her girlfriend's hand.

When Valentina turned to leave, she felt another slap. And she couldn't take it anymore. She spun quickly. "OI IMBECIL! Who the FUCK DO YOU THINK..."

 _ **WHACK!** _Another person intercepted the guy.  
  
  



	13. 13. You take care of me... I'll take care of you.

_**WHACK!**_ Someone intercepted the guy.

The man who had touched Valentina had just been punched in the face. There was a tremendous uproar as the men observed what had just happened. As one man fell to the floor, others began to move around the brunette.

Lauren turned to look for her friend, her eyes widening when she took in the brawl beginning behind her, she ran to Valentina. "Hey, Valentina, what's wrong?" Asked the worried Latina when she saw her friend's frightened face.

"It's Juliana, Lern, a guy touched my butt and Juliana... Juliana punched him in the face! But more people started fighting and now I don't see her, I don't see her!" The blonde said nervously as she continued searching through the mess.

"Relax V, relax... she will appear... Look here she comes!" Lauren pointed to the brunette who was walking through the crowd of people holding her hand.

"Lauren get her out of here!" Juliana ordered.

"WHAT? NO! NO, I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITHOUT YOU! DO YOU HEAR ME?" Valentina wouldn't let the Latina grab her.

"Lauren look at me!" Juliana and Lauren exchanged glances. "Take her out!" The Latina understood perfectly. Juliana needed to take care of certain things.

"Make it look like an accident!" As Don Vito Corleone would say. "Come on V." Lauren began to drag the blonde towards the door.

"JULIANA! What are you doing? JULIANA!" Valentina was trying to get the attention of the brunette who was returning to the fight. Juliana was going to make sure this guy wouldn't touch HER girl again.

"LAUREN JAUREGUI LET GO OF ME!" Valentina struggled but the lawyer was stronger than her. "LET GO LERN. LET GO! I WON'T LEAVE HER IN THERE ALONE! LET GO!" Valentina kept resisting until Derek arrived and between the two of them, they were able to force the blonde out of the bar.

** Half an hour later – Outside the bar **

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT LAUREN! I TOLD YOU WE SHOULDN'T LEAVE HER IN THERE! THOSE GUYS MUST HAVE KILLED HER BY NOW!" Valentina said as she moved from one side to the other.

Once they were all outside, they had decided to wait for Juliana, but the minutes had passed without any sign of the brunette, Valentina was getting more nervous.

"Valentina," Lauren grabbed the blonde by the shoulders. "She knows what she's doing. If we had left you inside, you could've been hurt!"

"YOU DIDN'T SEE THOSE GUYS. THEY WERE TWICE THE SIZE OF JULIANA!" Valentina couldn't take it anymore, her nerves were killing her.

"Okay, calm down. Juls is strong, surely she knows how to defend herself, right Lolo?" Camila asked her girlfriend.

Lauren agreed, but she was also becoming concerned, she looked at her friend again. "Calm down V, if she does not come out in a few minutes we will go look for her, okay?" Valentina noded.

"When can we leave?" Sara asked. "I don't know why we have to wait for that woman! After all, she started the fight with those huge guys! They're obviously teaching her a lesson!"

"SHUT UP SARA!... At least show a little concern about something other than when the Jimmy Choo fall-winter collection comes out!"

"Wow, you know that name? And here I thought that a small-town hick like you didn't know anything about fashion!" The model provoked the Latina.

"Listen, you witch..."

"Calm down Lern. Please," Valentina sighed. "Look Sara, I think you should leave. I'm sure Sam and Shane can drop you off at your place, right guys?" Valentina's pleading look said it all.

"Eh yeah, of course, of course. Come on." Sam grabbed his girlfriend's hand and said goodbye to the others. Behind them the model said goodbye.

"See you later my love. Don't be mad okay? Tomorrow I have a photo session and..."

"Sara, I'm not angry, we will talk later. Just go!" Valentina watched as her friends took Sara away. She no longer knew why she was with her girlfriend.

"Do not say anything!" She said looking at her friends, "I know what I have to do. But I need time, okay?" Valentina looked up and saw that the rest of her friends were looking towards the door of the bar.

"It's her!" Lauren said watching Juliana leave the bar.

The two couples approached the brunette, but Valentina froze as she scrutinised the state of the brunette's face. Her left eye was swollen and beginning to bruise, the left side of her mouth looked bruised and there was a small cut on her lip. Her shirt was splattered with blood, probably from the nose of the pervert.

"Oh my God, sweetie! You are a rock. Good job you have superpowers, eh?" Lauren tried to lighten the atmosphere.

Juliana just smiled as she slowly approached the blonde, "Are you okay?" The athlete asked but she should have seen it coming... a slap on the good side of her face.

"WHAT? AM I OK?" She hit her on the arm. "OF COURSE I'M NOT OK!" She hit her again, "THEY COULD HAVE KILLED YOU!" Another slap, "DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN! DO YOU HEAR ME?" Another slap. Juliana didn't even try to avoid them.

"STOP IT VALENTINA!" Lauren shouted, while Derek held the blonde's arms. "Do you want to damage the poor thing even more than she already is?"

"LET ME GO DEREK! SHE WANTS TO FIGHT SOMEONE? WELL, I'M GOING TO FIGHT WITH THE IDIOT!" Valentina tried to escape her friends hold. Juliana looked at her with her best Puss in Boots imitation, her big pleading eyes searching Valentina's as her pouting lip was beginning to swell more than normal.

"Valentina, calm down. Juliana is fine! She's already with us. Nothing happened to her!" Derek felt the photographer relax, "Can you promise me that you will stop hitting?" The blonde agreed, and the man released her.

"Lauren. Take us home!" Demanded the blonde, knowing that right now, no one would deny her anything.

"As Miss Carvajal orders. Come on love," she grabbed her fiancée's hand and they walked to the car. "Bye guys!"

"And you, let's go. Walk!" Valentina ordered Juliana, pointing to the car her friends were getting into.

"What? No. I have to wait for Nikki. I came with her and..."

"Juliana, I'm not asking you. It is an order and I will not repeat it again!" Valentina demanded.

"Hahaha don't make me laugh! Nobody tells me what to do!" Clarified the brunette.

"ONE!" Carvajal began counting loudly.

"Valentina, I am not your daughter, so leave the counting game!" The player defended herself.

"TWO!" Time was running out.

"Seriously Valentina, go home, it's late."

"AND..." A murderous look from the blonde. SHIT! RUN!

"LAUR, MILA, WAIT FOR ME!" The basketball player ran to the car as Valentina calmly followed behind.

"What happened Valdés? Did she give you the murderous look?" Asked a laughing Lauren from behind the wheel.

"Yes!" Was all Juliana managed to answer before Valentina slid into the seat beside her.

When they arrived at the Carvajal apartment, Valentina said goodbye to her friends, she turned to Juliana but without looking at her, "Get out!" She ordered. This time Juliana obeyed, she looked at the Latina as she opened the door.

"Good luck Valdés, you are going to need it!" Lauren said, laughing. The brunette gulped.

"Bye Juls! Don't worry, just keep your distance!" Camila winked while Juliana gulped again.

 _'Juliana you will not be saved from this. You are not saved. Say goodbye to Diet Coke, goodbye to hot dogs, goodbye to sex. Oh my God, I'll never have sex again in my life. Oh lord, help me out of this. I promise that if you help me, I'll never sleep with two women at the same time again!'_ The brunette thought dramatically.

When they entered the apartment, Valentina walked to the breakfast bar, pulled out a stool and pointed at it. "Sit down," she said. The brunette who had been waiting near the door devising an escape plan, quickly complied with Valentina's request by sitting on the stool. ' _No need to make the blonde angrier, right?_ '

Juliana's eyes followed the blonde as she moved around the apartment looking for things. "If you're going to kill me and hide my body, can I at least say goodbye to Kara first?" Juliana tried to lighten the atmosphere, but Valentina remined tense.

When she had everything she needed, she returned to Juliana. The brunette tried to find her eyes but at no time did Valentina look at her. The blonde was avoiding her. "Valentina I..."

"Shhhh. Don't speak." Valentina dipped a small cotton ball into disinfectant and gently placed it on Juliana's injured mouth.

"Aucccchhh! It stings, it stings!" The injured woman complained with a face of pain.

"Calm down, it's not that bad. You are worse than Kara when she gets hurt!" Valentina said while blowing on her lip to reduce the sting. "Did that help?"

"Eh no, not yet, blow a little more!" Juliana was enjoying the little breeze with her eyes closed.

Valentina raised an eyebrow but did not refuse the brunette's request and blew again. Juliana's face was adorable. She dipped another cotton ball, but this time she put it over her eye.

"Auchhhhh!" Juliana exaggerated. "Blow, blow!" She asked, bringing her eye closer to the blonde's lips. Valentina knew what the brunette was doing, but she didn't mind playing her little game, on the contrary. She blew again, this time for longer.

"So, in the end, the brunette is actually a big softie!"

"It's your fault! This only happens to me when I'm around you. You are my kryptonite!" She had to say it, she couldn't help it.

After hearing these words Valentina turned and walked away. She still didn't look at the brunette.

"Do I make you nervous?" Juliana asked, but Valentina said nothing.

"Uncomfortable?" This did not get an answer either, Juliana just looked at her.

"Thank you," said the blonde at last. "Thank you for defending me," she added, ignoring the previous questions.

"You have nothing to thank me for." Juliana gently grabbed her face, "Valentina look at me," she asked the blonde. "I would never... never, let someone touch you against your will," she kept her eyes on the photographer.

"Tomorrow you will have a lot of bruises." Valentina moved away and began to tidy the first aid box.

"I know, but it's nothing I haven't done before. And to be honest, your blows hurt me more!" Juliana joked. "You should probably check them!" She pointed to her chest.

"Well, you deserved them Juliana, and I'm sure I didn't do any serious damage." She pointed a finger at her. "You never do that again, do you hear?"

"I am not going to make promises that I cannot keep!" When Juliana saw the murderous look appearing, she added, "Well, I think I should go!" She got up from the stool and started walking towards the door.

"Where do you think you are going?" Valentina intercepted the brunette before she could slip away.

"Valentina look, I'm sorry, okay? If you are going to continue challenging me because I went crazy when someone else touched you? Fine! I admit it! I'm guilty. I can't bear when someone other than me touches you. The fact that your girlfriend touches you gives me nightmares! Do I regret punching him? No! I don't regret it. Would do it again? Yes! As many times as necessary! And if you are worried, then you can buy more cotton wool. But please, Valentina, please can we discuss this another day? My head is killing me!" Juliana's pleading face was delicious.

"Juliana I'm not going to challenge you. I said you are not going anywhere because you are going to stay here for observation. You can stay in Kara's room with her four hippos! Okay?" Valentina walked her to Kara's room. "I left some pyjamas on the bed. Good night," she gave her a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room.

"As you wish, your majesty," Juliana added, imitating a bow.

"Did you say something?" Valentina's head poked around the door.

"Eh... Good night Valentina," the blonde smiled and closed the door.

 _'These Carvajal women are going to drive me crazy. They're going to make me fucking CRAZY!'_ She told herself as she turned off the light. As she settled under the sheets, she noticed how One, Two, Three and Four all looked at her from the foot of the bed. "Do you miss the kangaroo?" She spoke to them while arranging them on the bed next to her. "Yeah? Well, me too. I hope none of you snore. Good night!"

** Later that night **

_Juliana had been waiting with her housekeeper for hours in the hospital. No one had told her anything. Not a doctor or nurse. No one had come near her._

_'_ _Juliana Valdés?'_ _Called_ _a man in a white coat._

 _'_ _Yes, that's me doctor. What happened to my parents? How are they?'_

 _'_ _Your mother's condition is very delicate. We_ _have done all we can for her_ _, but she is very weak. She_ _is_ _ask_ _ing_ _to see you_ _,'_ _said the doctor._

 _'_ _And my father? Doctor, how is my father?'_ _The young brunette knew they were hiding something from her._

_'I am very sorry to inform you Miss Valdés... but your father died on the way to the hospital.'_

_'_ _NOOOOO!' Juliana collapsed to the ground and clutched her head._

 _After a few minutes she gathered her strength and demanded to see her mother. When she entered the room and saw her injured mother hooked to_ _so_ _many machines_ _,_ _Juliana could not prevent the tears from falling._

 _'_ _Juliana, daughter, come here_ _,'_ _Lupe asked with a very weak voice. Juliana quickly obeyed_ _, '_ _You have to promise me that you will move on.'_

 _Don't say that Mom, you have to fight. You can't leave me alone! What am I going to do without you?'_ _S_ _he begged her mother._

 _'_ _Juliana, honey, look at me. I want you to be happy. Promise me please...' those were her mother's last words._

 _'_ _MOM, MOM... DON'T LEAVE ME... DOCTOR DO SOMETHING...'_

\-----

"Juliana, Juliana. Wake up." Valentina tried to wake the brunette. She had been awakened by the loud screams of the athlete. "Come on Juls, wake up. You're having a nightmare," the blonde insisted again.

"MOM!" When Juliana opened her eyes, she franticly looked around the room, she was sweating, and her breathing had become difficult. When she realised Valentina was next to her, she hugged her tightly. So tight, the blonde feared she might break a rib.

"Shhh, Shhh. It's ok honey, it's over. Relax." Valentina tried to reassure her brunette with her words while stroking her hair. "Come with me," she said as he took her hand. "You're going to sleep with me tonight."

Valentina lead Juliana to her bedroom. When they reached the bed, the brunette lay on her side, when the blonde got in behind her, Juliana automatically snuggled her back to the photographer's chest. Valentina did not hesitate to wrap her arm around the brunette. "Good night Juls," she left a kiss on her head.

** The next morning **

Valentina was not awakened by the beam of light coming through the window, or by the noises coming from the kitchen. She was awakened by the absence of Juliana's body.

When she opened her eyes, she scanned the room looking for the brunette. When she reached for her phone on the bed side table, she noticed a tray with an orange juice, a latte and fresh toast. Decorated with a rose and accompanied by a note.

Valentina rushed to read the note,

'Thank you for healing me... in every way. Enjoy your breakfast your majesty.  
PS: I see you found my shirt!'

Valentina was blushing all over. Juliana had seen her sleeping in her shirt.

"Oh Valdes... you have no idea what you're doing to me."

After trying the toast, she grabbed the latte and went to the kitchen to see what mess Juliana was making, or at least that's what she thought...

"Hey Juliana, if I had known that you were going to destroy my kitchen, I would have..."

"Wrong brunette dummy!" Lauren informed her friend while cooking bacon.

"Uffff, Lauren I want the key to my apartment back!" She said greeting her.

"Hi Valen, Lolo and I only came to see if Juls had survived the night! Even if you take our key, we have many more copies, right Lern?"

"True honey," confirmed the Latina, sticking her tongue out at the blonde.

"Well it seems you came in vain, because Juliana left early." Valentina said a little sad.

"We know!" The Latina confirmed. "We met her downstairs as we arrived, by the way, you must be a very good nurse because the sweetie left with a huge smile on her face. It was so big she barely made it through the door! How many times did you heal her? Once, twice or all night?" Lauren asked maliciously.

"What are you talking about Lauren? Nothing happened between us. It was just first aid!" Valentina couldn't forget how nervous she had been being so close to Juliana.

"Well, your first aid left the sweetie with a lot of energy, she told us that she needed to go out for a run urgently! Oh, and by the way... you should forbid her to wear those shorts. Those legs, my God! She could easily be sent to jail for being in possession of deadly weapons! Those things could kill!"

"LAUREN, your fiancée is right here!" Jealousy mode activated.

"PLEASE! Camila almost jumped her when she saw her!" The Latina defended herself laughing.

"Don't worry Valen, I don't think Juls will let anyone touch her legs apart from you!" Camila reassured her friend.

Valentina could not hide the smile that formed on her lips when she heard that, "I am going to look for my daughter. She must be tired of her father and his boyfriend by now!" She announced while looking for her keys.

"Hey Valentina!" Lauren stopped her.

"What's up Lern?" The blonde turned to look at her friend.

"Be careful! If that smile of yours gets any bigger, you will not fit through that door either!" Said the Latina with a mischievous wink.

The blonde rolled her eyes, "I'll be right back."

** Valentina's car – On the way home **

"What's wrong? Why are you so quiet?" Valentina asked her daughter. Since they had left the hotel where her father and Sergio were staying, she hadn't said a word. And to top it off, Sergio had started calling her 'kangaroo', something that Valentina knew bothered Kara. Only Juliana could call her that.

"Nothing... it's just... Mommy... can I ask you something?" Kara said a little nervous. The blonde nodded. "Do you remember when you and dad explained why you and he weren't together? Why he was with Sergio and you with Sara?" The girl began to speak.

"Honey I..." Kara interrupted her.

"I know that you and dad don't love each other that way. That's not what I want to ask you!" Kara was serious and sounded nervous. Valentina decided to shut up and listen to her daughter.

"Okay, tell me honey," Valentina encouraged her.

"Well, you told me that even though Sergio was with dad and Sara was with you, I did not have to think of them as my parents or call them Mom and Dad, right?" The little girl looked at her mother.

"Of course darling, of course. You've never thought of Sara like that, or, IS YOUR FATHER FORCING YOU TO DO IT WITH SERGIO? BECAUSE IF HE IS, I SWEAR..."

"Mama calm down, calm down. Time out!" The little girl looked at her mother holding her hands in shape of a T, and started laughing.

"Time out? What is that sign? What are you laughing at?" Asked Valentina surprised.

"Time out mom, like in basketball, when you ask for 'Time' to stop the game and organise the players, this is the sign." Kara explained putting one hand over the other forming a T. "And I'm laughing because Juliana is right, when you get angry a funny wrinkle forms between your eyes!" The girl laughed harder when she saw the face her mother made when she heard what the brunette had said.

"Enough laughing! Enough. Time out!" Valentina imitated the gesture... unsuccessfully! Kara had to hold back her laughter. "Can you continue what you were talking about please?" Valentina tried to get serious again.

"Well.... do you remember when you told me that you, Aunt Lolo and Aunt Camz preferred to be with a girl instead of a boy?" Valentina again nodded her head, without taking her eyes off the city traffic. She had no idea where this conversation was going.

Kara continued, "And when my aunts get married, you said that one day they would be mothers and they would have to choose a man who would lend them a part of him so that they could make a baby. The baby would only grow the belly of one of my aunts, but that both of them would love the baby very much." Kara looked at her mother waiting for an answer.

"Yes, honey, I remember but I still don't understand what you want to know," the blonde asked, looking at her daughter while waiting for the traffic light to turn green.

"I want to know if I... if I..." she pointed to herself, "even if I have you and dad, can I choose someone else to be my other mom? Can I pick someone else to call Mom? Because I know she loves me a lot, like you or daddy love me, and I love her very much." Kara finished without looking at her mother.

Seeing that her mother had not fully understood, she added, "I want to know if I can ask Juliana if she wants to be my other mother?"

BEEEEPPPPP! BEEEEPPPPP!

"MOVE IDIOT!"

"DON'T YOU SEE THE GREEN LIGHT?"

BEEEEEEEEPPPPP!

Valentina did not react to the protests of the other drivers. She was still processing every word Kara had said. For the first time in her life, she didn't have an answer for her daughter. What was she going to say?  
  



	14. 14: I'm coming for you!

BEEEEEEEEPPPPP!

"Uh... Wait... Wait a minute, Kara!" Valentina tried to park her car on the side of the busy street, this type of question should be prohibited when driving, like using a cell phone or driving drunk.

Valentina took a deep breath.

"Now Kara. You cannot just decide who you would like as your mother." The blonde wasn't sure of the words that were coming out of her mouth.

"But..." Kara interrupted.

"No, wait, let me talk. Being a mother implies many things, not just having fun like you have with Juliana. I understand that you get along really well, that's why you are friends." Valentina explained.

"But mommy... do you love me?" Asked the girl.

"Yes of course, but..."

"Well, Juliana loves me too... do you take care of me?" The oldest nodded, "See. Juliana does too!"

"Kara, darling, I know you have become very fond of her, but you can't ask her that. Someday she will have her own family, her own children." Valentina felt a knot in her stomach just imagining the brunette with another woman...

"Well, they will be my brothers and sisters then," the girl's logic was correct.

"I'm sorry little one, but you can't ask Juliana that, it's not appropriate." Valentina concluded, starting the car and glancing at her daughter as she rested her head against the window pouting.

  
** Valentina's apartment **

As soon as they entered the house, Kara sprinted to her room as if she were preparing for the Olympics. She didn't even stop to greet her aunts. She entered her room and slammed the door.

"Wow, that face can't mean anything good!" Lauren said, who had watched the little girl all the way to her room, "What happened V? Did she flirt with a waitress again? At the rate this girl is going, she'll have more conquests than Leo Di Caprio! And why do you have that face? Speak Valentina, you are worrying me!" The lawyer began to get serious when she saw the expression on her friends face.

"You will not believe what my daughter just asked me!" Valentina said.

"Don't tell me she wants to know about sex already! Oh my God! But it hurts, she's only a baby. Camz you have to look for the book I gave you when you thought babies came from storks!" Lauren was clutching her head.

"Lolo. Let Valentina speak." Camila kindly asked, "What happened Valen?"

~~~~~~~

When Valentina had revealed the 'heart-breaking' moment she had experienced with her daughter in the car, the other two were taking a minute to process all the information.

"Didn't you say anything else?" The Latina asked.

"What else could I say Lern? She has to understand that you can't ask something like that, it's..." Valentina was interrupted by a knock on the door. "GOD! All I need now is for Sara to tell me about her photo session, she will fry my brain!" Valentina clutched her head while Lauren opened the door.

"Did I come at a bad time?" It wasn't Sara, but someone much nicer.

"Please Valdés how many times do I have to tell you to stop wearing those shorts? Or at least warn me before you show up, you're going to give me a heart attack!" Lauren said while entering the room with the athlete.

"Hi Juls. I love those shorts!" Camila said.

"Haha, you two are a very special couple, you know that, right? And I'm sorry, I have training, but I wanted to see Kara..." Juliana laughed before her gaze landed on Valentina. "You okay? Did I come at a bad time? Because if so..." Juliana couldn't finish the question because at that very moment a little girl jumped into her arms. "Heeyyyy kangaroo! What a nice reception... Hey... are you crying?" Crying was an understatement, the girl was using Juliana as a tissue, her tears were huge.

"Kara. Kara. Look at me," the brunette tried to get the little girl off her shoulder, but she couldn't. She looked at the other spectators for an explanation, but the others only managed to open and close their mouths without any sound. While the girl was practically clinging to Juliana.

Juliana's cell phone rang. "It's Nikki, can you answer it and tell her to let the coach know I won't be at training," she asked the Latina, handing her the cell phone. While Juliana kept trying to calm the girl.

"No, Juliana no! Go train, Kara will be fine." Valentina tried to grab Kara but the girl was clinging tighter to the brunette.

Juliana's imitation of Valentina's 'murderous look' was worthy of an Oscar. Juliana moved away from the others with the girl still clinging to her.

"Hey," she spoke to Kara, "If you don't stop crying everyone will know your secret!" Kara didn't ease up so the brunette kept talking, "Everyone will know that your tears have powers. Superpowers! I didn't want to tell anyone, but I see that you have no problem revealing your powers." The little girl's grip was easing.

"What powers?" Kara muttered as best she could from the athlete's shoulder.

"Shhhh. You have to be careful because if someone finds out, we will be in trouble," added Juliana.

"What powers?" The blonde asked again, this time it was almost a whisper.

"Well, my father told me one day that when a girl as pretty as you cries, her tears can cause unimaginable things." Juliana said. Remembering the times her father tried to comfort her as a child.

"What things?" Kara whispered again.

"Well... if you keep crying, you will make me cry too, or Aunt Lern, right?" She turned the girl so she could see the Latina nodding. "Or Aunt Camz," she also nodded. "Or your Mom," Valentina was holding back tears but nodded anyway. "Besides, if you keep crying, the flowers will not want to sprout anymore, the birds will no longer sing, the sun will go down and the zombies will no longer revive, then who are you and I going to shoot?" The brunette added, watching how Kara laughed on her shoulder, she murmured something like 'Sara and Sergio' but the others ignored her.

"Lern, do I also have those powers?" Camila whispered to her fiancée.

"Of course love, you can have all the powers you want!" Lauren replied kissing her girlfriend.

Once the athlete felt the girl loosen her grip, she lowered her to the floor and knelt in front of her.

"Kara, Pooh bear, look at me," she took her chin and raised her little face. "Do you remember when I told you that it wasn't fair when you hid things from me, because I would always tell you everything?" The girl nodded. "Well now it's not fair that you won't tell me why you are crying because I would tell you if you asked me. That is a promise from a senior kangaroo to a junior kangaroo." Juliana took hold of her little hands.

Kara sighed and without looking at her mother, took a deep breath, looked at Juliana and asked. "Do you remember you told me that I had to do and say what I felt was right without hurting anyone?" Juliana nodded her head, "Well I want to ask you something that I think is good and I want very, very much."

"Well, don't leave me waiting, ask me kangaroo."

So, without any hesitation, Kara asked. "Do you want to be my other mother?" She stared at the brunette waiting for an answer.

Juliana looked at Valentina, then at Kara, she looked again at Valentina, now at the couple, and finally she returned to Kara sitting on the floor.

"Kara I... Uh..." Juliana was struggling for the words.

Valentina, watching the scene thought she had to intervene, "Juliana, it is not necessary to..." but she interrupted her again.

"Valentina wait, let me speak, please," asked the brunette. She got on to her knees again, looked at the little girl while wiping away her tears that were still falling and spoke, "Nothing would make me happier in the world than being your mom kangaroo. I always dreamed of having a daughter like you. So, the real question is... do you want to be my daughter?" The brunette finished.

"Seriously?" Asked the girl to be sure.

"Of course!" The brunette nodded. "Look..." she grabbed the little girl's hand, "Kara Carvajal, do you accept me, Juliana Valdés, as your mother and do you promise to take care of me when I'm old, watch all my games, play video games with me, love me a lot and make me the proudest mother in the world?" Juliana asked.

Valentina knelt beside her daughter and whispered something in her ear.

"Yes, I accept!" The little girl answered with a smile. "And you Juliana Valdés, do you accept me, Kara Carvajal, as your daughter and promise to take good care of me and protect me and..." Valentina was helping her. "What?" She asked her mother, "Aaaa... and do you promise to love me very much and do all the things I like and... No, mom, that's not..." Valentina repeated to her, "Fine... and do you promise to challenge me when necessary?" The latter was said while rolling her eyes, which pulled a laugh from all present. "Do you promise?" Kara finished her proposal.

"Sure Pooh bear. Of course I promise and I agree to be your mother." They hugged each other.

"Camz, I think I've got something in my eye." Lauren tried to hide her crying.

"Yes Lolo, I think we all have something in our eyes!" Camila said when she noticed how everyone in the room was now crying. The five ended up melting into a group hug.

"This has to be celebrated!" Lauren announced.

** New York Liberty Stadium - Thursday afternoon at the end of training **

"I WANT YOU ALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COURT, RIGHT NOW!" The coach gathered her players to give the final talk of the training session.

"Good. Now, everyone knows we travel to Indiana in a few days to play our first game. Tomorrow night I want you all here to practice your throws, except you Juliana."

"And why the hell is Valdés not training with the rest of us?" The captain complained. The whole team knew how jealous the captain was of Juliana.

"First of all Torres, when I speak, you shut up! Secondly when you put in 80% of your shots like Juliana, you will be allowed to rest too!" The coach answered harshly. "And third, for that bad word you have to leave five dollars in the swear jar!" She said pointing to the jar that was on a small table at the back of the court.

"And why the fuck do I have to do that? Is it my fault Juliana decided to bring a spoiled little girl to our training session?" The captain was not subtle at all, she did not like the introduction of the swear jar. She didn't care if Valentina Carvajal heard her daughter swear!

"Hey, don't talk about my daughter like that or you'll regret it!" Juliana couldn't take the woman anymore.

"Or what Juliana, or what?" Pressed the captain.

"TORRES! GO TO THE SHOWERS RIGHT NOW, AND LEAVE $10 IN THE JAR OR I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU PLAYING IN INDONESIA NEXT SEASON!" Arizona had run out of patience.

"Does anyone else have an objection?" Only Kara could be heard while she played with One, Two, Three and Four on the side line, the little girl accompanied her new mother to most of her training sessions. "GOOD!" Said the coach when no one spoke, "Well then, everyone knows what they have to do. NOW GO SHOWER! Juliana, not you, I want to talk to you."

Arizona waited for all the players to leave the court, although Nikki stayed to play with Kara.

"What's up coach?" Juliana asked while laughing as she watched Kara avoid being caught by Nikki. The kangaroo was fast.

"What do you think about our next game?" Arizona valued the star player's input. They respected each other.

"Hmm, I think that unless something unexpected happens, from what I know about them, we should have an easy game. The outside shots are going to be vital." She explained.

"DAMN VALDES! You and I think alike. Go home, enjoy a few days off. You have earned them!" She gave the player a friendly punch on the arm and left.

"Mommyyyy" The girl jumped on top of the player, "Are you finished? I am very, very hungry. Can we get a hot dog in the park?" The girl had a mischievous smile.

"Hahaha, but look at that face, what a little devil you are!" She said while ticking the girl.

Nikki tired after chasing the girl, came to sit with the other two, "Hey, are we going out tomorrow night?" She asked her friend.

"Nope. Tomorrow is Valentina's birthday, and this lady and I have a surprise for her. Right Pooh Bear?" The girl was nodding from Juliana's arms when her belly rumbled. "It seems that someone is about to die of hunger, so we need to go. See you on Monday Nikki and be good!" Kara waved goodbye to the other player.

** Valentina's apartment **

"So you haven't spoken to Sara yet?" Shane asked the photographer. Valentina had decided to celebrate her twenty-fifth birthday on the terrace of her apartment. Therefore she had, according to Lauren, 'forced' her friends to help make the decorations and organise everything.

"No, I haven't been able to talk to Sara yet. Between my parents who are calling me all the time so that I don't forget to pick them up at the airport tomorrow, my birthday and work, I just haven't found the time!" Valentina excused herself.

"You are a coward Carvajal, you need to stop making excuses and kick that bloodsucker's ass to the curb!" Lauren said as she tried to untangle the lights for the party.

"It's not cowardice, Lern. Every time I try to talk to her, she invents something so we can't have the conversation. I think she knows I want to finish with her," Valentina reasoned.

"I would hurry V! The sweetie is not going to wait for you forever. Oh my God, these lights suck!" The Latina had become entangled. "Camz help me!"

"Speaking of the sweetie, shouldn't she have brought Kara home already?" Mariana asked looking at the clock.

 **Riinnnngg! Ringggg!** The house phone began to ring.

"It's Kara's school!" She announced to her worried friends. "Hello. Yes Director Wilson, this is Valentina Carvajal... tomorrow? Well, the truth is tomorrow is quite a complicated day... Uh huh, well if it is so important, we will be there... Yes, yes. Okay, see you then." The blonde cut the call and looked at the others confused. "He wants to see me and my partner!"

"What? You and Sara?" Lauren asked in case she had misheard. The blonde was nodding, "And why does he want to see the both of you?"

"I don't know Lern, I don't know. I thought things with Kara had improved and now the Director is calling me! I don't know what to do with that girl anymore..."

"Hahahaha!" Laughter could be heard through the door, "Hahahaha!"

"That's Kara's laugh." Camila had recognised her.

"Hahahaha!" Another laugh was heard different from that of the girl.

"And that's Juliana's!" Said Valentina, who went to open the door.

"OH MY GOD!" The young girl and the brunette were lying in the hallway, covered in mud and dying of laughter. "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?" Valentina couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Hahaha, it was mommy's fault, mommy hahaha!" The girl said as she entered the apartment followed by her mother and the brunette.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU? Look at you, you are soaked. DON'T YOU DARE TO COME NEAR MY DOLCCE JACKET!" Lauren ran to grab the garment and hid it in the closet, when she saw Juliana enter the room in the same or worse condition than Kara. "Hey sweetie, you could've invited us! You and I could wrestle in the mud if you want!" Lauren said provocatively.

"I ALSO WANT TO FIGHT IN THE MUD WITH YOU AND JULS LOLO!" Camila jumped excitedly.

"Can you please stop saying stupid things?" Valentina's jealousy came to the surface. "You two, can you please explain why you are dripping mud all over my living room?"

The girl and Juliana looked at each other and began to laugh as a duo.

"Hahaha, I told you Mami, it was mommy's fault!"

"Hey! I never told you to jump into the pond with me. I told you to stay on the shore!" The athlete defended herself.

"The pond? Can you stop laughing and explain properly!" Begged Valentina.

"Mommy and I went to get a hot dog in the park, when we were walking near the duck pond, haha!" The girl started her story but couldn't continue she was laughing so much, so the brunette took over...

"A woman was shouting for help as she couldn't get her dog out of the water. The stupid dog had started chasing the birds but couldn't get out!" Explained the brunette.

"Oh no Juliana. Don't tell me you went in to save the dog?" The photographer asked.

"Mother! Mommy and I always help pretty girls in distress, don't we mommy?" Kara had just sentenced her favourite brunette to death.

"Eh, well, something like that!" Juliana avoided Valentina's reproachful look. "The fact is... Yes, I went to get the dog, but the dog did not cooperate, so Kara started calling him from the shore and... Hahaha, when the dog was able to get out, he jumped on Kara who lost her balance and ended up with me in the mud! You should have seen the face on the little monster! Hahaha!"

"What about the face that you had!" The girl pointed to the basketball player, "You were unrecognisable! Hahaha!"

The five girls stared in amazement at Juliana's interaction with Kara. They didn't know whether to laugh or worry. Kara sneezed and Valentina as a good mother, decided to intervene.

"Right, come on, you don't want to get sick. Go bathe and change. And you, stay there!" She said pointing to Juliana, "I'll bring you something of mine to wear. We cannot leave New York Liberty without it's star player. Your coach will kill us!" Valentina went looking for clothes while pushing her daughter towards the bathroom.

Minutes later the blonde reappeared, passing the brunette some shorts and a clean t-shirt. The five girls waited for Juliana to leave the room to change but she didn't. Shamelessly, as if she were a fucking stripper, the brunette took off her wet t-shirt. She seemed to move in slow motion while all eyes were glued to the athlete's body.

Even Shane and Mariana began to rethink their sexuality after seeing the two pairs of abs and the perky bust Juliana hid in a black sports bra. Literally the five mouths of the friends hung wide open.

Juliana pulled the clean top over her head and began to remove her muddy pants. Valentina observed the others in the room, Camila looked like Wile E. Coyote drooling over the roadrunner! Her eyes were popping out of her head and drool was beginning to form! "Juliana, Juliana wait, wait! Why don't you go change in my room and you can check on my daughter when you're done?" The brunette agreed and took herself down the hall.

"WHAT THE HELL, CARVAJAL! We were about to see Juliana Valdés' hot ass live and direct and you interrupted!! What a spoilsport you are!" Needless to say, Lauren was upset.

"Did you see that stomach?" Asked Mariana, "My God Derek has competition!"

"Well, the show is over! Now, less talking and more action. There is still a party to organise!" Valentina challenged her friends.

"Lern, do you think if we ask her nicely, Valentina will share Juls's little squares with us?" Camila whispered to her fiancée.

"I don't think so Camzi Camz, I don't think so!" She gave her girlfriend a kiss and kept trying to untangle the lights.

** The next morning at Kara's school **

"I told you not to let Kara spend so much time with that woman!" The model reproached her girlfriend for the fourth time.

They had arrived at the Director's office at the appointed time and were waiting to be called.

"Sara, I'm not going to repeat it. Juliana has nothing to do with this so leave her alone! You better help me think of a way for them give Kara another chance!" Valentina didn't understand why the Director wanted to see them both. After all, Sara and Kara didn't spend that much time together, almost never.

"Ladies, they are waiting for you," announced the secretary.

"THEY? They are waiting for us?" _Oh my God this must be more serious than I thought. What trouble has my daughter gotten in to now?_ Valentina thought as she entered the Director's office and looked around. There were at least five people in the room and the only two Valentina recognised were the Principal and Kara's teacher.

"Miss Carvajal, delighted to see you," greeted the Director. "And I assume you must be her partner, Juliana Valdés?" Asked the director extending his hand to Sara.

Sara's face was a picture, the expression somewhere between furious and disgusted.

"She hmm..." Valentina cleared her throat, "she's not Juliana Mr. Wilson, this is Sara Jackson. My girlfriend." The latter was not very convinced.

"Oh, I see! Well, I'm very sorry Miss Jackson. We assumed because of how Kara talks about Juliana Valdés, we assumed she was her mother's girlfriend. But hey, now that is clarified, please, take a seat," the Director moved on very easily from the little misunderstanding.

"Well, you know Kara's teacher, Miss Kim. But I would like to introduce you to Mr. Shuester, our music teacher..." A young man greeted the women, "this is Miss Clarke, literature teacher..." an older woman greeted them this time, "and finally Mr. Bryan our Gym teacher." A rather tall man stepped forward to shake their hands.

"Excuse me Mr. Wilson, but could we get to the point? The truth is, I am quite nervous about what you have to tell me!" Valentina wanted to know what kind of problems she was facing.

"Relax Valentina." Miss Kim calmed her, "Honestly we are here to congratulate you!"

Valentina opened her eyes wide, "Congratulate me? Me? Why?" The blonde didn't understand anything.

"Well, it's not every day you meet parents who encourage their children to succeed the way Kara has!" Explained her teacher.

Seeing the mother's confused face, the Headmaster interrupted began to speak.

"Miss Carvajal, several months ago we informed you that your daughter was having all kinds of problems, she did not socialise with the other children, she was not interested in any extracurricular activities and to top it all off, her exam grades were not encouraging." Valentina agreed to everything the director said. "And today... today we have a girl who is practically the first in her class, she is the most popular child on the playground and these teachers here..." he pointed to his colleagues, "are all here to fight to have her in their classes!"

"What? I mean what? I'm sorry. You need to be clearer because I need a GPS to follow what you are trying to tell me."

"Look, Valentina, we don't know how or when, but from one day to the next, Kara began to surround herself with friends. When I asked her about it, she told me something like 'Juliana's three easy steps to make friends.' You should see how those kids follow her around, she's like their God or something. They all say Kara is the 'coolest' kid in the class!"

When Valentina heard Juliana's name, she began to understand everything, "And why are you fighting for my daughter?" She asked proudly.

"Miss Carvajal..." the young teacher approached her. "I am Will Shuester the music teacher. A week ago I found Kara in the rehearsal room playing the drums, and let me tell you this girl has talent! I invited her to participate in the group and she accepted, she told me she is learning from a certain Juliana. Well, she has been practicing with us for a few days now and I would like to convince her to stay in the choir. That girl handles the drumsticks as if they were extensions of her own hands!"

"Excuse me..." the literature teacher interrupted, "I think the most appropriate group for Kara is the literature workshop. Look at this..." she took a sheet of paper out of a folder, Valentina could make out her daughter's handwriting, "this essay is amazing. It is clear that the girl has a passion for books. She should stay in my workshop. When I spoke to her, she told me that she and Miss Juliana read a little in the afternoons every day. Let me tell you that this woman is a great example for your daughter!"

"If you'll allow me..." and now, the gym teacher, "tell me something Miss Carvajal..." he addressed Valentina, "did you know that your daughter can score from the three-point line?" Valentina shook her head in a negative gesture. "Well she can, and not only that, the other day in gym class Kara gave a basketball lesson to the other children. If she joins my classes she can give this college many championships!"

"Let me understand one thing..." Valentina asked, "does Kara have to choose between literature, basketball and music?"

"Well no, not necessarily between the three..." the Director clarified, "each student can choose up to two extra activities."

"Well I guess I'll have to talk to her first." Valentina informed them. She needed to speak with her daughter urgently, she needed to know what the hell was going on. "Well, if that is all..." the photographer wanted to get out of there, "I'm sorry, but I have to go collect my parents at the airport."

"Yes, that's no problem ladies, we do hope to have Kara in at least one of our groups and we want to congratulate you again and also Miss Jackson for the wonderful job you are doing with Kara." Said the Director again, shaking hands with them both.

"It's nothing." Sara cheekily accepted the credit. "I love that girl as if she were my own and I want her to have the best education!" Valentina couldn't believe it. This was the last straw.

Once outside the school, they were walking towards the car when Valentina suddenly stopped.

"What happened? Hurry up love, if you want me to be presentable for tonight, I need to get to the Spa early!" The model said irritably.

"Don't call me love!" Valentina said quickly.

"What? Valentina, honey, what's wrong with you?" She played dumb.

"Don't call me honey either! In fact, I don't want you to call me anything. And I don't want to see you tonight either!" The blonde spoke confidently.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT VALENTINA?"

"First, don't yell at me and second, don't be stupid Sara, you know very well what I'm talking about. This... is over!" Said Valentina.

"It's because of her, isn't it? Asked the model.

"It's because of me Sara, our relationship is no longer enough. You must have seen it coming!" She didn't know how else to explain it to her.

"YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU WILL COME GROVELLING BACK CARVAJAL! YOU'LL COME BACK. SARA JACKSON IS NEVER DUMPED!" She turned and left.

"Well, there is always a first time for everything. WELCOME TO CLUB!" Valentina shouted. "Argh!" Valentina sighed and closed her eyes, a smile began to form on her face as she opened her eyes again. ' ** _Free at last_** ** _!_** ** _Juliana Valdés, get ready... because I'm coming for you!'_**  
  



	15. 15: The Last Possibility

** At the Airport **

"Hahahaha!" Lauren couldn't stop laughing. "Haha, I wish I had seen her face. You could've let me watch V! I would have given my silicones to see her face, although, Camila would kill me!" The Latina had accompanied her friend to the airport to collect her parents.

"I couldn't take it anymore, I had to end it! Oh God, when I told her 'not to call me honey,' you should have seen her face, she wanted to kill me! Do you remember the day she bought the Carolina Herrera bag, and you told her it was fake? Well, that was the face! Hahaha!" Valentina was entertaining her friend, remembering her eventful morning at Kara's school.

"Hahaha, stop V, stop! I'm going to wet myself!" She was doubled over holding her stomach, "Do you think we'll see her again?" The Latina did not want to cross paths with the witch again.

"Well that's the problem, next month I start the Victoria's Secret campaign and you know that Sara is one of the models!" That was going to be an uncomfortable situation.

"True." Lauren nodded. "That will be problematic V! You know that witch is capable of becoming the next 'Annie Wilkes'! She is likely to kidnap you, tie you to the bed and force you to have sex with her every night! Haha! 'Misery' wouldn't even describe it!"

"Stop Lern, it's not funny! Do not put images in my head, I'll have nightmares!" Valentina did not want to even think about the model.

"Okay, but seriously Valen, it was about time you left that bitch. Camz and I no longer knew how to put up with her! But now?" Lauren asked with a malicious smile, "Do you have your eye on another 'sweetie' or what V?"

Before she could answer, Valentina spotted her parents rushing through the airport looking for her.

"Daughter!" Her parents greeted her with hugs and kisses. "Lauren, it's so nice to see you! Oh, and by the way, your parents want you to call them, they want to know how the wedding preparations are going." Lucia told the Latina.

"Leon, Lucia what a joy to see you." Lauren rolled her eyes, "And don't worry, as soon as I get home, I will call my parents." Lauren lied, she would rather teach the damn cat how to dance, than listen to her mother try and convince her to serve meat instead of chicken.

"How was the flight?" Valentina asked her parents.

"Hmm... good movie, bad food! Although your father slept the whole trip." Lucia told the girls. "Where is my favourite granddaughter? Are we going to pick her up at school?"

"Ha!" The girls laughed at the same time, "Mother, if you dare to go looking for Kara, the girl is capable of killing you. Nobody is allowed to take away her afternoons with Juliana." Valentina explained still laughing. "Not even me, and it's my birthday!"

"Last Thursday Juliana had double training, so I collected Kara instead of the sweetie, she pouted all day until Juliana arrived with a litre of ice cream and another damn hippopotamus!" Lauren remembered, "I swear, if she buys one more of those damn toys, I am going to kill the sweetie, although I would totally cut off her legs and put them on display!"

"Yes, yes, she told me about that... what did she name this one Leon?" Lucia asked her husband who was carrying all the suitcases.

"Five!" The three said in unison.

"So, now that you've mentioned her, I want to know everything about this Juliana woman. Every time we talk to the Kara, she only talks about Juliana, but recently there was a development... she no longer calls her Juliana... now she refers to her as Mommy!" A confused Leon spoke this time.

"Do you have time for a coffee Leon?" Asked Lauren, "because there is a LOT to explain!"

** Valentina's ** **** ** birthday celebration **

"Oh daughter, this looks wonderful!" Lucia was amazed with the party preparations.

There was a long table to one side of the terrace, filled with enough food and drink to feed a small army. Several tables were placed throughout the terrace. Garlands, lanterns and various ornaments hung from railings, with fairy lights casting a warm glow. Music was also playing throughout the space, while several waiters attended to the people arriving.

To Valentina's surprise, she spotted several musical instruments in the background, which caught her attention because she hadn't hired a band.

"Hey Shane..." she called her friend, "did you decide to sing tonight or what are those instruments for?"

"No, I have no idea actually, maybe Lauren decided to sing... Valentina, I think you should go welcome your guests." The singer pointed to the new guests who were approaching the blonde.

"Jess! How are you? Thanks for coming!" Valentina greeted the waitress who was also her daughter's friend.

"Hey Blondie! Thank you for inviting me, happy birthday!" She said hugging her.

"I thought Kara and Juliana were coming with you?" Valentina hadn't seen either of them arrive.

"Eh... no, well... that's strange, but don't worry, you know what those two are like! They are likely to be off swimming in the pond or something like that!" The anecdote of the dog was already known to all.

"Oh God, don't remind me!" Valentina had to give Kara antibiotics for two days after their 'heroic act,' as her daughter and Juliana liked to call it. "Well come on in..." she said to Jess and her companion, "eat, drink and have fun!" Valentina continued to receive her guests.

Most of the invited guests had already arrived, colleagues, models, friends, family, etc. Everybody entertaining themselves and having a good time, the only ones missing were her daughter and Juliana.

"Oh God Lern, neither of them are answering their phones! What if something happened to them?" Valentina had been calling the brunette repeatedly. She had also tried her daughter's cell phone.

"What if they went to rescue more animals? Or if they returned for the fifth time to the zoo to see the hippopotamus, or if something happened to them in the car, or..."

"Or nothing! Try to calm down Valen. Relax a bit, have a drink. Come on..." Lauren led her to the table to get her a drink, "have a beer! Calm, they will be here soon."

"How am I supposed to calm down? It's my birthday and I want my daughter and my..." Suddenly all the lights went out, leaving the terrace in total darkness. There was a general murmur of uneasiness.

"If someone touched a cable or something like that, I will beat their butt so red it will generate it's own light!" Lauren's threatening voice was heard.

Before panic ensued, a very sweet and finite voice was heard speaking into a microphone.

"Hello. Hello." _Thump, thump, thump_ the microphone was tapped, "Can you hear me?" At that moment the lights were turned on again to reveal two people beside the instruments. The guests were completely silent as they watched Kara, dressed in torn jeans, a white T-shirt and white mini converse, take the microphone again to speak.

"Mother. Surprise!" The guests laughed, "Today is a very special day for you and for me, your daughter!" She pointed to herself, which made everyone laugh again. "I wanted to give you something that I prepared with my other mom, Juliana," when she pointed to the brunette, everyone turned their heads to look at the athlete holding a guitar, she was dressed identically to Kara. They looked like a band. The brunette gave a quick wave to the crowd and a thumbs-up to Kara to let her know they could get started. The girl settled on the drums holding her drumsticks.

Valentina stared at her daughter and Juliana, she was overwhelmed, tears began to form in her eyes. "Did you know about this?" She asked Lauren, but when she saw her friends surprised face, she already knew the answer.

"Do you think if I had known that the hottie... the hottie, in those jeans... Ahh, I have too many thoughts..." the Latina shook her head. "If I had known, I would have brought underwear to throw at her!"

"Lern stop looking at her like that!" Demanded the birthday girl. The other girl just smiled, earning a blow from the blonde.

"Ready Juls?" Kara asked her guitarist and the brunette nodded. "Okay, this song is called 'Angels' and it's for you Mommy. Happy birthday!"

"ONE, TWO, THREE!" The little girl shouted and then began to hit the drums.

Kara beat the drums slowly and began to sing while trying to get an even beat on the cymbals.

♬ ♬ ♬ ♬ ♬ ♬ ♬

**_I sit and wait_ **   
**_Does an angel contemplate my fate_ **   
**_And do they know_ **   
**_The places where we go_ **   
**_When we're grey and old_ **   
**_'Cause I have been told_ **   
**_That salvation lets their wings unfold_ **

Now it was Juliana's turn, she looked for Valentina's eyes and found them easily.

**_So when I'm lying in my bed_ **   
**_Thoughts running through my head_ **   
**_And I feel the love is dead_ **   
**_I'm loving angels instead_ **

The two together this time.

**_And through it all she offers me protection_ **   
**_A lot of love and affection_ **   
**_Whether I'm right or wrong_ **   
**_And down the waterfall_ **   
**_Wherever it may take me_ **   
**_I know that life won't break me_ **   
**_When I come to call, she won't forsake me_ **   
**_I'm loving angels instead_ **

Suddenly the music stopped when Kara dropped the drumsticks, murmurs were heard around the room, Kara and Juliana looked at each other, then the girl pulled another set of drumsticks from behind her back with a mischievous smile. It had been deliberate, the audience burst into laughter as the music started again with Juliana's voice.

**_When I'm feeling weak_ **   
**_And my pain walks down a one way street_ **   
**_I look above_ **   
**_And I know I'll always be blessed with love_ **

Kara's turn to sing again.

**_And as the feeling grows_ **   
**_She breathes flesh to my bones_ **   
**_And when love is dead_ **   
**_I'm loving angels instead_ **

**_And through it all she offers me protection_ **   
**_A lot of love and affection_ **   
**_Whether I'm right or wrong_ **   
**_And down the waterfall_ **   
**_Wherever it may take me_ **   
**_I know that life won't break me_ **   
**_When I come to call, she won't forsake me_ **   
**_I'm loving angels instead_ **

Juliana showed her guitar skills with a solo while Kara accompanied her on the drums until the duo returned to the chorus.

**_And through it all she offers me protection_ **   
**_A lot of love and affection_ **   
**_Whether I'm right or wrong_ **   
**_And down the waterfall_ **   
**_Wherever it may take me_ **   
**_I know that life won't break me_ **   
**_When I come to call, she won't forsake me_ **

Only Kara's voice ended the song.

**_I'm loving angels instead_ **

♬ ♬ ♬ ♬ ♬ ♬ ♬

"I love you Mommy! Happy birthday!" Kara added from her seat.

Applause, whistles and cheers were heard throughout the terrace. Valentina looked at her closest friends, they were all feeling emotional, Lauren was sobbing loudly. The birthday girl ran off in search of her daughter.

Kara, in turn was running towards her mother, she jumped and was caught in her mother's arms. "Happy birthday Mama! Did you like it? Did you see how my drumsticks fell? I bet no one was expecting that! Mommy says all great drummers do that."

"I LOVED IT, honey! You were fantastic!" She hugged her tightly as she mouthed a 'Thank you' to Juliana, while the brunette wiped her own tears.

Valentina's friends and parents joined them, hugging and congratulating Kara.

"Who knew we had our own Freddy Mercury in the family?" Lauren said ruffling the girl's hair.

"Valen, how could you not tell me that I have such a talented granddaughter?" Said Lucia drying her tears and hugging the girl. "And who is this charming woman?" Lucia said when she saw Juliana.

"Mom, dad, this is Juliana Vadés, Juliana, these are my parents." Valentina introduced them.

The brunette took Lucia's hand and left a short kiss, "Delighted to meet you Mrs. Carvajal, now I see where your daughter and granddaughter inherited such beauty," the brunette made Lucia blush.

"Please, my dear, call me Lucia and luckily you didn't see me when I was young then!" Lucia was flirting with her.

"Luckily!" Juliana replied, "Because I assure you that I would not have stopped until we fell in love!" Juliana responded to the flirtation in a friendly manner and made Lucia blush even more. "Mr. Carvajal, how are you?" She shook the man's hand.

"Lucia, I like this girl! She has a strong handshake," said the man.

"Well, okay! You can stop flattering her now, soon her head will no longer fit through the door!" Said the blonde.

"Awh Valen, don't be jealous!" Lucia challenged her daughter.

"Yeah Valen, don't be jealous!" Juliana added with a smile. "By the way, you look beautiful." Juliana approached Valentina and left a kiss on her cheek, "Happy birthday," she whispered.

"Yes mama..." Kara agreed, "you are so pretty, that I would face all the orcs in the Lord of the Rings for you!" The girl complimented her mother. "Did I say that right Mommy?" She asked Juliana.

Everyone present laughed, "Ehh, yeah, something like that honey... We have to work on WHEN to say things, and WHEN NOT TO!" Said Juliana ashamed.

"Well enough compliments and introductions, isn't this a party? Then let's shake our fucking asses!" It wasn't Lauren, but Sam who was enlivening the moment.

While Juliana continued talking with Mr and Mrs. Carvajal, Lauren took the opportunity to approach Valentina, "We have a problem!" She whispered.

"What are you talking about, Lern?" The photographer questioned without taking her eyes off her parents, who were laughing at something that Kara and Juliana were saying.

"A problem! Your daughter is already in love with the sweetie, imagine if your parents also fall in love with her? You will be the only one missing... although I think that's temporary!" Lauren smiled at her and left.

 _'Yep, it seems that Juliana is the Carvajal's weakness.'_ Valentina said to herself before following her friend to continue celebrating.

The party resumed it's course. Valentina worked the room talking to each of her guests, but without taking an eye off the brunette who, despite having several sharks surrounding her, did not detach from Kara for a second. After several hours of socialising, the blonde chose to sit with her friends. She watched as Kara giggled endlessly on top of the brunette.

"They have been laughing like that for a long time," Mariana informed her friend.

Valentina captivated by the scene of her daughter with Juliana, decided to find out the reason for the laughter. "May I ask what you two are laughing at?" Valentina sat next to the brunette.

"Mama, we are counting how many times Aunt Lolo looks at Aunt Camz breasts!" Kara replied quite naturally, "She has looked fifteen times, haha!"

Valentina raised her famous eyebrow looking at the brunette. "Juliana?" She accused.

"Do not look at me like that. It's not my fault that your friend is a pervert!" Juliana defended herself.

"She's not a pervert, it's just that..." she looked at the Latina, "again? Is that sixteen times? Oh my God she's insatiable!"

"Valentina, how come your girlfriend isn't here?" Asked the brunette out of nowhere.

Valentina liked this question, she needed to tell Juliana that she was already single, "Well, it turns out that Sara is no longer my girlfriend."

"REALLY?" Juliana and Kara asked at the same time. Valentina nodded with a smile when she saw the reaction of the other two, they appeared to have won the lottery. Juliana lifted Kara and threw her into the air. Valentina's eyes roamed the tattoo that covered the brunette's arm, but she decided not to ask about it. She planned to inspect that body another time.

"Hey, stop celebrating, I want to talk about something with both of you," the girl and the athlete sat down again, frowning, Valentina couldn't help but notice how adorable they were. "I wanted to tell you that I had an interesting talk with Kara's teachers today." Valentina spoke while the other two looked at each other. "Don't worry, it was nothing bad," she added when she saw the panicked faces of her two favourite people. "Apparently they want Kara to choose between the music group, the Literature workshop and the basketball team! Apparently, someone has been a great influence on my daughter!" She looked at the brunette.

"Valentina, I'm sorry. I know I should have asked you before I started teaching her to play the drums but..."

"No Juliana, don't apologise, you just inspired your daughter like nobody else could!" Juliana felt a tingling all over her spine, it was the first time that Valentina recognised that Kara was also her daughter. "Well? What do you think honey?" The two women looked at the little girl.

"Hmm, I like playing the drums a lot and reading too, but if I play basketball, I'll be like mommy..."

"Can I suggest something?" Asked the brunette while the other two nodded, "If you like them a lot you should continue with those two, and you can play basketball with me. You will learn much more with me than on the children's team. What do you think?" She looked at the little girl.

"And can I keep going to your training sessions?" Kara asked, her eyes were getting heavy.

"Sure Pooh bear, whatever you want." Juliana answered as she watched her daughter struggle to stay awake. "I should take her to bed, right?" She asked the blonde as she stood with Kara in her arms. "Valentina?" She called, "You look beautiful," she continued to the girl's bedroom, leaving an open-mouthed blonde in her wake.

The family discussion was closely followed by Lucia and Leon. "Tell me you could sense the affection between those two Leon?" Lucia asked as she watched Juliana leave with the girl in her arms and how Valentina followed them with her eyes.

"Please Lucia, if you strike a match, I'm sure something will explode. There are sparks flying between those two!" The man commented.

~~~~~~~

"Valentina for God's sake stop looking at them, they're just talking!" Lauren reached her friend's side and tried to calm the monster of jealousy.

"Talking? Talking? Look how she is touching her Lauren. Who invited that idiot to my party?" The blonde couldn't take it anymore, Juliana had been talking to a model for a half hour and the idiot hadn't stopped flirting with her.

"Well, I don't see anything wrong with it, after all, the sweetie is single, or am I wrong?" The Latina highlighted.

"What do you mean?" Valentina asked without taking her eyes off the couple.

"FOR GOD'S SAKE VALENTINA! WAKE UP! LABEL IT AS YOURS! This is why I say you're a dumb blonde. Do something!" Lauren pushed her friend to where Juliana and the model were.

"Juliana, can I talk to you for a second?" Valentina interrupted the cosy chat and without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Juliana by the arm and pulled her away from the vulture.

"Hey, calm tiger!... If you want to get rough, we better go to another room," joked the athlete.

"Don't be funny, I'm asking you, please don't you dare leave this house with another woman. You won't embarrass me, will you?" This time she was serious.

"Val don't say anything else or you might regret it, okay? I'm not going to leave with anyone, don't worry, ooh..."

"What?" The blonde asked quickly.

"Are you jealous?" Juliana answered mischievously.

"JEALOUS? ME? PLEASE! DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!" Hmm save it Valentina, you're not good at lying.

"Ahh, sorry, that's how it seemed. Well you said you didn't want me to go home with another woman..." Juliana continued with the little game.

"Juliana look around you. Do you see all those people? Just by lifting a finger I could have anyone I wanted. Anyone! In two seconds I could have them at my feet!" This comment made Juliana's hair stand on end.

"What are you waiting for then? Go choose one, then we'll both have someone to spend the night with!" Juliana challenged.

Valentina quickly fixed her eyes on a target and tried to go after it, she tried because a pair of strong arms wouldn't let her move.

Juliana held her by the waist preventing her from leaving. She approached her ear and whispered, "Be careful Valentina. Choose well. The person you choose will not get me out of your head. So choose well!" Was the last thing the brunette said before she let go of Valentina and moved to the other end of the terrace.

The rest of the night could not have passed any slower for the photographer. She hadn't seen Juliana or the model flirting with her since. She just wanted the party to end, say goodbye to everyone and sleep for twelve hours. "See you later Henry, thanks for coming, I'll see you at the meeting." Valentina said goodbye to the last guest. "Please don't invite him again! If there is free drink, he will not leave the bar until it is empty! Shall I prepare the sofa bed for you?" She asked Lauren and Camila.

"No, are you crazy V? With the girl at home I can't enjoy Camzi Camz as I should... we're going home!" Lauren grabbed Camila and dragged her to the exit.

"Bye Valen, the party was great but Lolo needs her night exercise to sleep!"

Valentina said goodbye to her friends and went up to the terrace to turn off all the lights. When she arrived, she heard the voice of the woman who has been taking away her sleep...

♬ ♬ ♬ ♬ ♬ ♬ ♬

**_And so it is_ **   
**_just like you said it would be_ **   
**_Life goes easy on me_ **   
**_Most of the time_ **

Juliana was sitting on the terrace with her guitar in hand, singing. Valentina climbed the steps while listening carefully to the brunette.

**_And so it is just like you said it would be_ **   
**_Life goes easy on me_ **   
**_Most of the time_ **   
**_And so it is the shorter story_ **   
**_No love, no glory_ **   
**_No hero in her sky_ **

Juliana, who had already noticed the presence of the blonde raised her head to meet her eyes.

**_I can't take my eyes off you_ **   
**_I can't take my eyes off you_ **   
**_I can't take my eyes off you_ **   
**_I can't take my eyes off you_ **   
**_I can't take my eyes off you_ **   
**_I can't take my eyes..._ **

The brunette stood up and began to move towards Valentina slowly.

**_And so it is just like you said it should be_ **   
**_We'll both forget the breeze_ **   
**_Most of the time_ **

Valentina walked to meet her.

**_And so it is the colder water_ **   
**_The Blower's daughter_ **   
**_The pupil in denial_ **

When there was no more space to separate them, Juliana put down the guitar and without taking her eyes off Valentina at any time, she ended the song only with her voice.

**_I can't take my eyes off you_ **   
**_I can't take my eyes off you_ **   
**_I can't take my eyes off you_ **   
**_I can't take my eyes off you_ **   
**_I can't take my eyes off you_ **   
**_I can't take my eyes..._ **

♬ ♬ ♬ ♬ ♬ ♬ ♬

And Valentina knew there was nothing more to say, only to do. She took Juliana's face in her hands and kissed her. She kissed her as if it were her last chance to be happy, as if her life depended on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♬ Angels - Robbie Williams  
> ♬ The Blower's Daughter - Damien Rice


	16. 16: Simple Spectators

As soon as Juliana felt the contact of Valentina's lips with hers, she gave herself fully to the kiss. She placed her arms around the blonde's waist pulling her closer and deepening the kiss, Valentina's lips felt like home. Juliana knew immediately, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Valentina Carvajal in her arms kissing her like this.

As the kiss continued, their breathing became laboured and their lungs demanded more oxygen. The women were forced to separate.

"Wow!" Was all Valentina managed to whisper. "That was... Incredible." The blonde looked for the brunette's eyes but found them still closed, "Juls, Juliana, please open your eyes?" She asked caressing her face.

"I don't want to open them," said the brunette quietly.

The blonde smiled, "Juls, come on, open your eyes," she insisted and again while caressing the athlete's face.

"No, if I open them, I'll wake up from this dream and you will have left, or someone will interrupt us, or your girlfriend will appear..."

"Ex-girlfriend!" Valentina corrected her while playing along.

"Well either your ex-girlfriend appears, or you get mad at me for something. So I plan to keep my eyes tightly closed to continue dreaming about you." Juliana finished and squeezed her eyes even more.

Valentina slowly approached her mouth and grabbed Juliana's lower lip between her teeth, biting it a little.

"Auchhh. That hurts!" The brunette jokingly complained.

"Did it hurt?" Valentina asked and Juliana nodded with her eyes closed. "Well, like a pinch, so you know it's not a dream. You and I are here, on my terrace. Alone." The blonde whispered. "So, will you do me a favour Miss Valdés, and let me see those beautiful brown eyes that I love so much?" Valentina raised her hands to gently caress each eyelid of the brunette.

Juliana obeyed, she opened her eyes to find a pair of crystal blue eyes staring at her intensely. "It's you... you're real!" She affirmed with a smile, while her right hand moved to stroke the face of the photographer. Valentina melted into the touch. "That kiss was perfect." Valentina smiled, "If there was a kissing contest, they would have to disqualify us for being too perfect!" This time they both smiled.

"Juls."

"Valentina," they both spoke at the same time. "Tell me your majesty," said the brunette taking her hand and kissing it.

Valentina gave the player a little thump on the shoulder for the use of the nickname, she needed a moment to find the words she wanted to say. "Juls, I... I thought you left with the stupid model and..."

The brunette shook her head, "I didn't go anywhere, well... I did, but I didn't leave with her or anyone else. I went for a walk, I needed to think and when I got into the car I saw this..." she went to the sofa to get a beautifully wrapped package, "and I wanted to give it to you tonight."

The blonde took the package and looked at Juliana again, "You shouldn't have," she said.

"What? Returned? Or bought you a gift?" The brunette asked jokingly, she knew that Valentina was referring to the gift.

"The gift smart ass! You didn't have to get me anything." She said as she opened the package, "Besides... My God!... Juliana... this is, it's... beautiful!" Valentina held a silver chain with a ruby pendant in her hands. "And very, very expensive... I can't accept this," she placed it back in the box and tried to return it to Juliana.

"Valentina I'm not asking you to accept it, you are going to accept it, period. Also, what would you wear tomorrow night then?" Juliana asked, smiling mischievously.

"Tomorrow night? Hmm... as far as I know I don't have anything to do tomorrow night." Valentina said as she tried to remember her plans for the next day.

"You sure? When I checked my schedule, you and I have an appointment tomorrow night. Were you going to stand me up?" Asked the brunette pouting.

"Let me understand this, are you asking me out? And instead of getting down on your knees and begging me, you are demanding it?" Valentina was enjoying their little game.

"Val..." Juliana got down on her knees, "if you want me to beg, I will! If you want me to sing, I'll do it. If you want me to dance, no problem! Whatever you want, but I need you to give me a chance to show you how much I want to be with you, if there is someone in this world who can love you as you deserve, it's me." Juliana was serious, the time for jokes was over.

Valentina pulled the brunette back to her feet, "You don't have to do any of that, you just need to tell me what time you will pick me up!" The blonde said smiling and winning a stunning smile in return.

Juliana grabbed Valentina by the waist and pulled her against her, with their foreheads resting against each other she murmured, "I like you a lot Val, I would do anything for you." Valentina waited to be kissed, but Juliana surprised her again, "I will pick you up at eight," she gave her a kiss on the cheek, then turned towards the stairs and left.

"Oh brunette, what are you doing to me?" The blonde said to herself. She turned off the lights and went to her bed. That night she was sure her dreams would not live up to the reality of being with Juliana.

** Valentina's Apartment - Noon **

"Good morning everyone! Lauren, Camila, how nice to have you BACK in my apartment AGAIN!" Valentina had just gotten out of bed, it had been almost impossible for her to fall asleep after the events of last night. "How is my little princess turned rock star?" She gave her daughter a kiss on the head, "Mom, dad, did you sleep well?" She asked her parents thoughtfully.

The other five looked at each other as if an Alien were emerging from Valentina's stomach.

"Mommy, are you crazy, drunk or what?" Kara asked.

"Again with that question Kara! I'm going to have to talk to your mother about that!" Valentina avoided the looks she was receiving.

"But this time the girl is right V, what did you drink? You have woken up smiling, this is not normal. It feels like we are in some parallel dimension!" Lauren was the most surprised by the change, she had suffered many mornings with her grumpy friend.

"What? Can't I just be happy? Last night we had a great party, my daughter dedicated a song to me..."

"Juls also dedicated the song Valen!" Added Camila.

"Yes mama, mom was the one who chose the song. She said that she had never seen an angel, but she was sure they'd look just like you," said Kara.

 ** _BOOM!_** _The little girl drops bombs like they're nothing._ Kara didn't realise the impact her comment would have on the room. A few eyebrows were lifted as the adults looked at each other.

"Hmm... well, whatever, can't I be happy?" Valentina asked the rest of those present.

"Noooooooooooo!" They answered in unison.

"Your father and I lived with you for eighteen years honey. There was not a single morning, listen well, NOT A SINGLE MORNING that you got up smiling! Not when you were a cheerleader, not when you were a punk, never, you just got up, had your coffee and left. Oh Leon, do you remember that morning she wanted to kill me, because her uniform had not been washed?" Lucia asked her husband

"That's nothing!" Interrupted Lauren. "The day she lost her favourite shirt she made Camzi Camz cry!" Added the Latina.

"Shut up Lern, it wasn't like that!" The blonde defended herself.

"Yeah, it kinda was like that! And I remember perfectly, because that was the day you first met Juliana, and she covered you..." Lauren saw her friend smile when she named the basketball player.

"THAT'S IT! THAT'S WHY YOU ARE SO HAPPY. IT'S JULIANA! SOMETHING HAPPENED WITH HER LASTNIGHT. START TALKING VALENTINA CARVAJAL!" Her friend demanded.

"I have nothing to say. I'm going to take a bath." Valentina tried to escape the inquisition.

"Well then, if you don't tell us, we won't be able to give you the package she sent, it arrived this morning." Lucia said casually while eating her toast. All the others smiled and waited for the photographer's reaction.

"A package for me?" Asked Valentina surprised, she was dying of curiosity. Her mother nodded.

"I signed for it myself," her father added. "Does anyone want more toast?" Asked the man, everyone was now enjoying teasing the blonde.

"A package for me... from Juliana?" She asked again.

"That's what it said on the card," her father replied.

"Lolo, did you see the size of the box?" Camila asked her fiancée. "Do you think Tlacoyo would fit in there?"

"Believe me Camz that cat is part cow, and it cannot fit in any box! I swear to God that mutation should be forbidden to breed!" Lauren ridiculed her fiancée's cat.

"Lolo don't be mean, you know she has a rigorous cheese diet!" Camila pouted at her girlfriend.

"Sorry love it's just..."

"STOP! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE, GIVE ME THE BOX AND THE CARD, OR I'LL KICK EVERYONE OUT RIGHT NOW! Except for your my love," the latter she said to her daughter.

"What? Why can she stay? It was this little devil's idea to hide the box!" Lauren wasn't going down without taking the mini demon with her.

"Aunt Lolo you are a mouth!" Accused the girl, "I'm going to tell my mom Juliana to kick your ass!"

"Ahhh, look, I'm shaking!" The lawyer shook her body. "I would eat your mommy Juls for breakfast, I'd eat her raw, do you hear me? Raw in every sense!" The latter was said with an evil smile.

"LAUREN!" The girl's grandparents challenged her, "Kara darling, don't listen to your aunt." Lucia said to her granddaughter when she saw the girl's curious face at her aunt's words.

"HI! HELLO! OVER HERE! CAN SOMEONE PAY ATTENTION TO ME?" Valentina couldn't take it anymore. She NEEDED that package.

"Stop crying dumb blonde, we are not going to give you anything until you start talking! What happened last night between you and the sweetie? We all know she was waiting for you on the terrace," the lawyer cross-examined.

"Lern stop bothering Valen." Camila challenged her fiancée. The Latina huffed and sat back in the chair with her arms crossed.

"No wonder my mom Juls says that Aunt Lolo is whipped, I am only seven years old, and I can see it!" She told them.

**_BOOM!_ ** _Another bomb from the little devil._

Lauren just stuck her tongue out at her niece.

"Valen..." Camila began, "We love that you are happy, but we want to be sure that everything goes well with you and Juliana. That's why we want you to tell us."

"Camz, nothing happened between Juliana and I, despite what you all think. She is... is... a gentle-woman," she remembered the brunette's gestures towards her. "Tonight we are going on a date," Valentina finished.

"Yes! I knew it. My mommies!" Kara broke the silence. She quickly got up from her chair and went to get the package, "Take it mama. You deserve it now." The little girl winked at her mother.

"Oh my God I swear you're a clone of Juliana!" Valentina said smiling. While the five waited attentively for the gift to be opened.

 _'Revenge, sweet revenge!'_ Thought Valentina.

"Well I'll show you later!" She grabbed the white box with a giant red bow and walked to her bedroom. ' _Muahahahaha!'_

"WHAT? Don't even think about V, come back here!" Lauren protested but it was already too late. Valentina had closed the door.

"VALEEEEEN OPEN THE DOOR! OR AT LEAST LET ME IN, I AM YOUR MOTHER!" Lucia appealed with her family connection.

"No way, Lucia. If she is going to open the door for someone, it's me! I'M YOUR BEST FRIEND. I'M THE ONE WHO HAS BEEN WITH YOU IN ALL THE GOOD AND BAD MOMENTS OF YOUR LIFE!" Lauren appealed with emotion.

"WELL, IF YOU LET ME IN, I'LL LET YOU SEE MY BUTT!" Camila bribed her with her body.

"CAMILAAA!" They all said in unison.

"Camz, baby, how many times do I have to tell you to STOP offering your butt in exchange for things?" Her girlfriend complained.

"But love, you told me that you would do anything to see it, so I guessed others would too?" The dancer's reasoning was not so crazy.

"No honey, only I can see it, no one else!" Lauren explained sweetly.

"CAN YOU STOP TALKING ABOUT YOUR BUTT IN FRONT OF MY DAUGHTER PLEASE?! I ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH WITH JULIANA TEACHING HER HOW TO SEDUCE PEOPLE!" Valentina shouted through the door. "And get away from the door because the only one who will see what is inside this box, will be me!"

"MOM, IF YOU LET ME IN, I PROMISE TO TELL YOU EVERYTHING MOMMY JULIANA SAYS ABOUT YOU!" Kara tried extortion.

"Leave my daughter alone," Leon decided to end the screaming. "DAUGHTER REMEMBER THAT JULIANA WILL HAVE TO ASK MY PERMISSION FOR YOUR HAND! SO THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT WHO YOU WILL LET IN!" Nope, he didn't end the screaming, Leon had now joined with his own little threats.

"Ask for her hand? Seriously Leon, what century do you live in? I hope you're not planning to take a cane to my wedding old man!" Lauren tried to chase away her competitors with her inner bitch.

"Watch what you say Lauren, we could accidentally dial your mother's number and let her know that you chose the roses instead of the lilacs, she will not like that at all!" Lucia defended her husband.

"MOM!" Kara kept trying to enter the room without paying attention to the fight that was taking place between Lauren and Lucia behind her, "WHEN MOMMY AND I PLAY 'SCORE THE PRETTY GIRLS' SHE NEVER WANTS TO SCORE YOU! DO YOU KNOW WHY?" Kara attacked her curiosity.

"Score the pretty girls? My God Kara, what kind of game is that?... Why daughter?" Valentina definitely wanted to know the answer.

"IF YOU LET ME IN, I'LL TELL YOU!" Yep, she was definitely Juliana's daughter.

"And what score did you give me?" Camila asked.

"Aunt Camz, you got a ten!" Kara answered without taking her ear from her mother's bedroom door.

"Yay! Did you hear that Lern? I'm a TEN!!" The Latina, who had just made Lucia promise never to tell her mother about the flowers, agreed.

"And what am I?" The lawyer asked curiously.

"Hmmm..." Kara tried to remember, "I think we gave you a nine!"

"A NINE! A DAMN NINE... IMPOSSIBLE! DID YOU HEAR THAT VALENTINA? YOUR DAUGHTER AND YOUR ROMEO GAVE ME A NINE! BLOODY DWARFS DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WOMEN!" Lauren's score was definitely not received well.

Suddenly, the door opened. And there stood Valentina Carvajal wearing a beautiful, short red, strapless dress. The five people in the corridor stood with their mouths agape.

"Well... you look really beautiful!" Lucia complimented her daughter.

"It's Juliana's gift. It is beautiful," the blonde couldn't stop admiring her new garment.

"Mommy you are very pretty but... was there nothing else in the box... something like..."

"Hmmm... let me see, I think I saw something else in there." Valentina went back into the room, "I don't think this is for me," she gave the package to her daughter.

"YEESSSS!!!" IT'S THE NEW NBA GAME. IN YOUR FACE AUNT LOLO! I ALSO GOT A GIFT." Kara celebrated with her new video game.

"We'll see who has the last laugh when I beat you demon girl!" This time the Latina would not let the girl win.

Valentina watched as the others went back to the living room. She returned to her room to find the card and read it once more: 

_'As I did not want to reveal the details of our night, I had the courage to choose your dress. I do hope you are not too tired, as you have spent so long running through my mind lately. I will see you in a while your majesty._   
_PS. The video game is for Kara. I have to keep my two favourite women happy.'_

** Valentina's Apartment - 7:59 pm **

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!_ Juliana was knocking on the door of Valentina's apartment, when the door opened, she found her daughter welcoming her.

"Hello kangaroo!" Juliana opened her arms waiting for the little girl to jump, but that did not happen.

"Mother. Come in," Juliana frowned. The little girl was worryingly serious.

"Is there a problem kiddo?" The brunette did not understand the girls mood.

"Come into the living room please," Kara began to walk and Juliana followed her.

When she entered the living room, she found all of Valentina's friends along with her parents, sitting in a circle, and in the middle of the circle was an empty chair.

"Mommy, sit on the empty chair." Kara demanded.

Juliana gulped and walked to the chair, "Hey, it's not that I'm scared, but am I in trouble for something? Was the dress too short? Or..."

"SILENCE!" Lauren ordered, "You will speak only when we, the VPB tell you to do so!" Added the lawyer.

"VP what?" Juliana asked once seated.

"The VPB, Valentina Protective Board." Shane explained.

"Juliana, we have reviewed your history..." Leon began the interrogation, "and after an extensive investigation on Google, we have discovered that to date, you have hundreds..."

"THOUSANDS!" Added Lauren.

"Thousands." Leon corrected himself, "thousands of conquests. Models..."

"Dancers," Camila added as she winked at Juliana.

"Actresses..." Derek.

"Athletes..." Mariana.

"Waitresses..." this was her daughter.

"Eh... if you'll allow me, I can expla..." Juliana tried to defend herself.

"I think I was clear! You cannot speak before the order is given to you!" Lauren repeated.

"Tell us Valdés, what makes you think that you can come into this house and add Valentina to your list of hundreds..."

"THOUSANDS!" Lauren corrected mischievously.

Leon thanked the correction with his head and continued, "What makes you think that you can come into this house and add Valentina to your list of THOUSANDS of conquests?" The older man finished the question.

"Can I speak?" The brunette asked Lauren. The Latina nodded in agreement, "Valentina is... she is..."

"Oh dear! It seems that someone is not very convinced of what she is doing!" Sam said, while everyone else nodded.

"You're going to have to give us more than a stutter Valdés, if you want to be approved by this board!" Lauren pressed the athlete as she began to write on the pages she had in her hand.

Juliana took a breath and stood up from the chair, "Valentina is the only woman that causes me to act like this..." she gestured to her whole body with her hands. "I mean, Valentina is the only woman who makes me nervous before I see her, who makes me want to break the clock because the hands do not move fast enough so I can see her again. Valentina makes all other women seem insignificant. Since I met her, that first time on the street, I haven't been able to stop thinking about her for a minute. And I know what you have in your hand," she pointed to the pages in Lauren's hand that had been printed from the Internet. "Most of it is true, I won't lie. But I also know that I can no longer live without her, whether you accept me or not, I need to show Valentina that I am the woman she deserves by her side!" She finished lowering her head.

"APPROVED!" Lucia yelled and ran to hug her.

"TOTALLY AGREE!" The others yelled and joined the hug.

"Kara?" Asked the brunette when she saw that her daughter had remained in her chair.

"Mommy, do you promise me that you will never hurt my mom?" Asked the little girl.

"I promise you Kangaroo," assured the brunette. "A promise from senior kangaroo to junior kangaroo!" Her daughter quickly jumped into her arms.

"I have one last question, Valdes," Lauren said. Juliana accepted and nodded. "How the hell could you give me a NINE? Are you blind? Look at this ass!" Lauren turned showing her butt and made everyone laugh.

Juliana stopped laughing as soon as her eyes fixed on Valentina, when she entered the room nobody else mattered, all noise fell away. Juliana left her daughter on the chair and approached the woman of her dreams.

"Hello," greeted Valentina. "You look great," she flattered the brunette who was wearing tight black trousers and a shirt of the same colour, her dark hair in loose waves.

"Valentina..." she took her hand and kissed it, "if someday I stop smiling, please remind me of this moment. Next to you, the rest of us are mere spectators of your beauty," she raised her head and found the most beautiful blue eyes that ever existed, she hoped to lose herself in those beautiful eyes for the rest of her life.


	17. 17: I Belong to You

Valentina blushed at Juliana's words but never broke the visual connection. "Did they make you suffer a lot? I know how intimating they can be," asked the photographer who had been aware of the interrogation awaiting the brunette.

"You knew?" The blonde nodded, "You could have warned me that a committee was going to be waiting for me! I would rather throw myself down a well full of reality TV stars than go through that again. And by the way... your daughter has inherited your murderous gaze!" She said in a whisper to Valentina, glancing sideways at the small blonde.

"Well at least she has something of mine, lately she is mini you! Oh, and by the way, you are forbidden to continue teaching her how to conquer girls!" She finally said it.

"Forbidden? But I don't teach her, the girl has a natural gift, they fall at her feet. I'm just like Professor Xavier from the X-men, I just encourage her to develop her talent."

"If you are only encouraging her natural talent then I guess, 'Juliana says we should always help damsels in distress,' isn't part of the training, right?" Asked Valentina raising her famous eyebrow.

"Apparently she doesn't understand the, 'don't tell your mother' part yet!" The brunette defended herself frowning at her daughter who was now hiding behind her grandparents.

"And the little game of putting points to women... did Kara invent that too?" Lauren entered the conversation, Juliana would pay for giving her a score of nine.

The Latina earned a look of 'if I catch you, I'll kill you' from the athlete, "Eh..."

"Ha! I think someone just got demoted to an eight!" Mariana laughed.

"Oh, and by the way..." interrupted Valentina, "why don't I have a score?" Her curiosity would kill Tlacoyo.

"Kara honey come here..." Juliana called her daughter affectionately avoiding the question. Her little girl did not know when to keep her mouth closed.

"No, Mommy, I think I better go to sleep because it is already passed my bedtime, right mom?" Kara was not going to fall into the clutches of her mother.

"Yeah, you better run away, little coward!" Valentina said to her daughter. "And do not think you have avoided answering, one way or another, you will tell me my score!" She warned the brunette.

"One way or another? Hmmm... I like that!" Juliana hinted without realising she was still surrounded by people.

"Okay, if you don't want your father to interrogate Juliana again, you'd better leave!" Lucia hurried when she saw her husband's face at this last comment from the brunette.

"Yes, I think it's better that we go." Valentina announced to her date. "Goodbye everyone."

"See you later," Juliana said goodbye, avoiding the older man's gaze.

"Wait mommy!" Kara ran and jumped on to her new mother. "Mommy, even if it's forbidden, are you going to continue teaching me how to conquer girls?" The little girl whispered to the brunette.

"Take it for granted kangaroo. Nobody forbids us anything, right?" Juliana answered.

"Hmmm..." thought the girl, "I think mom can forbid us anything!" The little girl's logic was correct.

"Haha. You are very right kangaroo. Your mother can do whatever she wants with us!" She kissed the girl and put her down, "Be good, okay?"

"Ready to go?" Asked Valentina opening the door.

To Valentina's surprise, as soon as they left the apartment, the brunette took her hand and only released her when she opened the car door for her.

"Well? Are you going to tell me where we are going?" Asked Valentina.

"If I tell you, then I'll have to kill you, and we don't want to leave Kara with only one mother, right?" Juliana joked making the other girl laugh.

"To be totally honest with you Val. I spent the whole night searching for the perfect place to take you, I thought of a picnic, I thought of the beach, I thought of places to eat, I even thought of taking a plane to some special place..."

"Juliana, you are exaggerating, it is not necessary to..."

"Let me finish please..." the athlete pleaded affectionately, placing a hand on her companion's leg. Valentina only nodded in agreement, allowing the brunette to continue speaking and hoping her hand would stay there much longer.

"The fact is, I could not find a perfect place to take you. Nothing was enough. Then I remembered my parents..." Juliana recalled with a smile, "they celebrated all their anniversaries in a very discreet restaurant in the city, it is not ostentatious but it is a place to start, because that is what I want, I want to start something with you." Juliana parked the car and turned to look at her date, who gave her a shy smile.

"I don't know how you do it Valdés, but you always leave me speechless, I'm sure this place is as special as you." Valentina caressed the brunette's face.

Juliana smiled letting herself enjoy Valentina's caress. She got out of the car and ran to open the door for Valentina, who was again surprised when the athlete took her hand as they walked to the restaurant.

The restaurant was beautiful, it had soft lighting and background music. Several couples were located at different tables. Valentina thought it was perfect for a first date, it was a perfect start. Again, Juliana had been right.

"Miss Valdés! I was waiting for you," a handsome older man approached them as soon as he saw the basketball player enter. "When I read your name on the reservation, I had a hard time believing it. It must be..."

"Nine years!" Juliana had already done the math.

"Exactly! Wow, it really has been nine years since your last name was on our reservation list. I hope you start a new tradition with this beautiful lady who accompanies you." The man extended his hand to Valentina.

"Señor Tunner this is Valentina Carvajal. Valentina this is Oscar Tunner, he was a great friend of my parents, and owner of this restaurant," Juliana introduced them.

"Nice to meet you," she greeted him friendly.

"Believe me, the pleasure is all mine miss," the man kissed her hand.

"Eh okay, that's enough with the pleasantries." Mr Tunner was introduced to Juliana's jealousy. The man looked at the brunette smiling.

"Just as jealous as your father, right?" The man laughed, "Let me show you to your table," he guided them through the restaurant.

The man pulled out a chair for Valentina to sit down, then did the same with the chair opposite, supposedly for the brunette. Juliana stood there for a moment deciding what to do, she grabbed the chair and pulled it next to Valentina. Under the watchful eye of her date, she sat close beside her. Valentina was surprised by the gesture but said nothing, the closer the better.

~~~~~~

"Pink hair? A Ryan Seacrest tattoo?... Wow, who would have thought that behind such a woman, was a poor imitation of Marilyn Manson!" Valentina had been entertaining Juliana with her past. "Hey, let me know when you'll take out the whip and we can start the party!" The brunette kept joking. "I NEED to see photos. Please, please you can't leave everything to my imagination." Juliana pleaded with her hands clasped together.

"Those photos are under lock and key. If they fall into the hands of strangers, they are set to self-destruct in ten seconds. And stop with that silly face, this is not funny!" Valentina covered her face with her hands.

"Val." Juliana was getting even closer to her, she delicately grasped her hands in her own and withdrew them from her face, "It is a sin that you cover such beauty... also, you do not have to be ashamed, on the contrary, it makes you even more special." She kissed each of Valentina's hands, then let go, she was afraid of making the other woman uncomfortable.

"It's just... it was a difficult stage in my life." Valentina knew it was time to open up, "I didn't want to admit that I liked women and did all kinds of things to convince myself otherwise. Among them was sleeping with Kara's father, who also turned out to be gay!" Valentina said lowering her head.

"Hey!" Juliana raised the blonde's chin to find the blue eyes she loved so much, "That girl is perfect. Just like you!" When she met her gaze she tried to convey how grateful she was to have Kara in her life. "Although, let's hope that when she's a teenager she has better taste than a Ryan Seacrest tattoo!" Joked the brunette.

Valentina gave her a small shove. She looked at the tattooed arm on the basketball player, she had to ask, it was now or never, "Juls." Juliana looked at her, "Can I ask you about something that has caught my attention?" She said in a mixed tone of pleading with sensuality.

"First, I want you to know that it is not fair that you use that tone of voice with me, because I am capable of anything!" The brunette warned. "And secondly, you can ask me anything," she explained.

"So..." she approached her and using the same tone to provoke Juliana, "can you tell me about your tattoo?" She was enjoying watching the athlete struggle with her emotions. She could see it in her eyes, Juliana was fighting the desire to kiss her.

Juliana fixed her eyes on the blonde's, ' _Are you challenging me Carvajal?'_ She thought for a moment.

"Give me your hand," without waiting for a movement from the other woman, the athlete delicately took her hand, holding it in the air for a few seconds. "My tattoo kind of tells a story, like my memories..." the brunette said in a soft tone, while Valentina listened carefully. "It starts on my left wrist..." she brought Valentina's hand to touch the mentioned body part, "with the date..."

"Of your birth?" She anticipated the next part of the story.

Juliana smiled and shook her head, "No. You know you are very impatient, just like your daughter... it's the date my parents got married. Mom said that ever since she married my father, she knew that she wanted to start a family with him." Juliana recalled. "Then..." Valentina's hand travelled up her arm, "this coloured part is my childhood..." Valentina was trying to distinguish some of the shapes but it wasn't very clear. "Within the shapes you should be able to find basketballs..." Juliana took Valentina's finger and traced a line of the drawing that formed a sphere. "Trips around the world..." this time her finger traced a map, "tools, teddy bears... Can you tell them apart?" Juliana asked, interrupting the story to make sure the blonde was following her.

"Hmm..." Valentina was in a kind of trance. "Umm yes. Yes. Go on, go on," insisted the blonde. She could spend hours caressing the brunette's smooth skin.

Juliana smiled. "This part, with the lighter colours..." the photographer's hand went up to where the forearm ends, "that's when I told my parents I was gay. The lines form a woman's silhouette," this time without any help, Valentina ran her fingers over the entire feminine silhouette. Anyone in the restaurant could feel the vibes emanating from the two women.

"Then there are two hands, right? I can make them out." Valentina said while tracing the hands with her index finger.

"Yes." Juliana cleared her throat, she was living a very difficult moment. "Yes, those hands are... well, they are my first time!" Valentina tore her eyes away from the tattoo to look at the brunette's face. "They represent my first encounter with sex, they represent touch and desire, to give and receive love."

Valentina swallowed hard. She was entranced by the athlete, she could not distinguish anything but Juliana's voice and the movement of her mouth. The music was no longer the melody of some singer, but the beating of her own heart.

"Then it gets dark..." these were the words that snapped her out of her daze. Juliana had taken the blonde's hand back and raised it to the drawing on her bicep. Valentina returned her eyes to the brunette's arm. "It darkens due to the absence of my parents and gets worse as it moves up."

Valentina frowned. "That's true, there is no clear definition either," observed Valentina.

"Yeah. My life at that time had no definition. After the death of my parents I lost my way, I dedicated myself to going from party to party, getting drunk and sleeping with as many women as I could." Juliana barely finished speaking, when she looked for Valentina's gaze to apologise, but the blonde was still attentive to the tattoo.

"When the shoulder begins..." Valentina lifted the sleeve of the shirt to see more clearly.

"On your shoulder it clears... and there is a... another date?" The photographer was focused on the tattoo.

"One night, after several hours of 'fun' and a serious amount of alcohol, I fell asleep in a strangers house... I had a nightmare, the same nightmare I had at your house the other night." Juliana did not want to look at Valentina. "My mother appeared begging me to be happy, to keep trying..." the first tear fell from the brunette's eyes, "and suddenly I woke up expecting to see my parents, but when I looked around all I could see were half naked women and empty bottles, and I knew Valentina, I knew..." tears were now streaming down her cheeks. "I knew I wasn't happy, that I was destroying myself. I got out of bed, grabbed my things, and left. That day... was the day I was born again, that date is the one drawn on my shoulder. Do you remember Mr. Hippopotamus?" Juliana asked looking at Valentina.

Valentina nodded while with her thumbs she wiped the brunette's tears. "He introduced me to people in London, where I finished school and dedicated myself to playing basketball. That's why the tattoo continues with a drawing of that country. Moving there was like a spiritual retreat... but without sexual abstinence!" Juliana laughed but when she saw that Valentina was not amused, she continued with her story. She turned around and lowered her head so Valentina could see her neck. "This is the last one," she pointed to the shield of her current team and returned to her normal position.

"The last?" Asked Valentina, who ran her fingers over the brunette's face again to remove the remnants of tears.

"For now!" Juliana added. "I just have to think of a way to add you and Kara." Valentina couldn't wait any longer. She kissed Juliana. As the kiss intensified, she could taste the tears on the brunette's lips. Juliana deepened the kiss even more when she pulled the blonde on to her lap.

That kiss may have lasted ten seconds, twenty minutes, an eternity but for them it wasn't long enough. When they pulled away from each other, their gazes locked, and their breathing laboured.

"I want... I want to..." Valentina tried to speak but she was nervous.

"Hey..." Juliana said caressing her face, "calm down. Tell me what you need."

Valentina took a breath and spoke, "I want to be the one who chooses your tattoo," she said, almost whispering.

"Val if you keep kissing me like that, you can even choose the names of our children... You just have to tell me where and when beautiful," she smiled mischievously.

"Who would have guessed, the secret to handling Juliana Valdés were kisses?" Valentina joked.

"That is where you are wrong Carvajal, not any kiss. Only yours!" Juliana said seriously.

Valentina was only two seconds away from attacking Juliana's lips again, when Mr Tunner arrived and prevented the attack. "Excuse me. Miss Valdés, the car is already at the door."

"Are we leaving?" The blonde asked surprised. Valentina wanted to stay there to continue her new favourite activity, kissing Juliana.

"I want to take you somewhere important to me," the brunette whispered to her girl, trying to ease her pouting.

** A basketball court on the streets of New York - Fifteen minutes later **

"Juliana, I know you love basketball, but what are we doing here?" Valentina could not understand why she was standing on a street basketball court dressed in a beautiful $2,500 dress with a very expensive ruby necklace.

"Are you afraid?" Juliana asked when she saw the nervous face on the beautiful woman. "You know you don't have to be, I would never let anything happen to you." Juliana seized her damsel by the waist.

"Wow my own bodyguard, I like it." Valentina put her arms around Juliana's neck. "And why is this place so important to you?" Again her curiosity would kill poor Tlacoyo.

"This is where I started playing basketball," explained the brunette. "I know it may not seem very important to you, but for me, this is a big part of my life and the only one I never abandoned. By playing basketball I was able to move on with my life, and playing professionally became my biggest goal in life, my dream. And that's why I want to share it with you, the owner of my other dream." Finished the brunette, drawing Valentina even closer to her.

The blonde smiled shyly, lowering her head.

"That... that smile is my favourite!" Juliana admired her personal Picasso.

"Your favourite smile? Are there so many?" Poor Tlacoyo, he really was running out of lives with Valentina's curiosity.

"Well... there is the one you do ironically when someone says something stupid," the brunette remembered. "There is also the one you do when Kara does something that makes you proud, or the one you make of obligation when you do not find the situation funny." Juliana ran her fingers over the blonde's face, gently brushing Valentina's lips. "You also smile slightly, although not all the time, before you say something sarcastic," she told her. "But this, this is the smile you make when I say nice things to you, when someone gives you a compliment, or when something embarrasses you, it is my favourite," concluded the athlete making Valentina blush and smile. "Oh, there it is!" She pointed to the blonde's mouth with her finger. "You see? It is beautiful. I could spend all night making it appear, I love it!"

"Juliana... You have to stop, you are driving me crazy and we are in the middle of a basketball court!" Valentina was finding it very difficult to control herself.

"Okay, okay. I'll behave. Promise of a senior kangaroo to the mother of a junior kangaroo," Juliana promised. "But you have to do something for me," asked the brunette.

"We'll see, you have to tell me first," Valentina provoked.

"Kiss me!" The brunette pleaded.

"Hmm, do you want a kiss?" Valentina would make her beg.

"I don't want it, I need it!" Juliana replied.

"Well, if you need it so much, you'll have to tell me why I don't have a score in the game between you and Kara." Nobody leaves Valentina Carvajal with doubt, she is solely responsible for the death of many cats.

"Hey, I'm almost sure that qualifies as extortion!" The brunette accused the blonde.

"Take it or leave it Juliana Valdés. I'm sure anyone else would accept the exchange." Valentina walked towards the street but Juliana grabbed her arm, "Yeah? Do you need something?" The blonde pretended not to understand.

"You do not have a score because a ten is not enough, because a thousand is not enough, because an infinity is not enough... You do not have a score because you are unique, because no number would do you justice," assured the brunette.

Valentina approached her to kiss her, but Juliana walked away leaving the blonde confused, "Juliana?"

"Now you can relax and go find someone else to kiss." Juliana said while walking towards her car. She walked a few metres and turned to add, "When you're ready, you just need to whistle because I already belong to you. You can do whatever you want with me, I'm all yours Val," she kept walking.


	18. 18. Sir, Yes sir!

Valentina hurried to catch up with the brunette, "Come here you idiot!" She said affectionately while grabbing her arm to bring her closer to her, "I only kiss brunette basketball players with huge egos!" The blonde played.

"I'm a brunette!" Juliana said and Valentina nodded.

"I also play basketball," stated the brunette.

"And they say you play very well," added the photographer making the other girl smile.

"Hmmm... but I lack the ego, ah well, I suppose it must be someone else!" Juliana shrugged. "See you later then," she tried to leave, but the first step she tried to take, Valentina wrapped her arms around her again.

They looked at each other, smiled and kissed. Unlike the previous kisses, this one was not initiated by one, it was synchronized, mutual, it was... it was perfect!

** Valentina's apartment **

Juliana and Valentina walked hand in hand down the corridor that brought them to the blonde's apartment.

"Is it wrong that we haven't said goodbye yet, but I'm already missing you?" The brunette asked her companion.

"Will you not come in?" Asked Valentina in a disappointed tone, bowing her head.

"Valentina... look at me please," the blonde raised her eyes. "You know what will happen if I go in, right?" Juliana asked taking for granted the answer of her soon to be girlfriend.

"I know..." she said, "but tonight was very short and tomorrow you leave for Indiana and... and I don't want you to go! Can I not tie you to the leg of my bed?" Joked the blonde.

"Hmm, that depends... if I throw myself to the ground and roll on my back, will you scratch my belly?" Juliana continued with the dog metaphor. She raised her hands, stuck out her tongue and mimicked a panting dog.

"Of course I will. And if you look at me with your big brown puppy eyes, I'll scratch you behind your ear!" Valentina raised her hand and scratched the brunette behind the ear, making the other woman laugh. "Thank you... thank you for tonight." Valentina ended the game while looking the brunette in the eyes. "Thank you for everything actually," she caressed the tattooed arm that had now become an obsession of the blonde.

"If anyone should give thanks, it's me. Thank you for agreeing to go out with me." Juliana took the other girl's hand and kissed her. "Valentina... you... I..."

"Hey!" The blonde reassured Juliana, "I'm here, okay? Tell me."

Juliana sighed. "Can we have breakfast together tomorrow? You, me and Kara? I don't want to pressure you or anything, but I'm leaving for a few days and I wanted to see Kara before I leave and..."

"Juls, Juls, stop," she put a finger on her lips. "Of course you can. Plus, your daughter would love to see you before you go," she said imagining the girl's face.

"And you?" Asked the brunette, "Would you like to see me again before I go?" She completed the question while approaching the photographer, pressing her gently against the door.

"Hmm, I don't know..." Valentina made a doubtful face, "maybe you should give me a reason to miss you!" She provoked.

"You know it's dangerous to play with me, right?" Juliana whispered inches from her face.

"Danger? A Carvajal does not know the meaning of that word!" Valentina said with an air of arrogance.

"Well, maybe it's time for a Valdés to teach you!" Juliana told her while she bit the blonde's lower lip, watching Valentina's reaction. She put her hands on her waist and pressed her even harder to the door to kiss her again.

"CAN YOU STOP MAKING DIRTY IN THE CORRIDOR?" Lauren's voice was heard through the door. "YOUR DAUGHTER IS SLEEPING TWO DOORS AWAY. YOU ARE PERVERTED! JULIANA, IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO CALL LEON, YOU SHOULD TAKE YOUR HANDS-OFF VALENTINA'S BUTT RIGHT NOW!" Lauren yelled as she turned on and off the hall light.

"Lauren, can you leave the light please? That is very mature of you!" Said the blonde while resting her head on the shoulder of the brunette, who now had her hands well in sight.

"Lolo, you didn't say it was disgusting when we did it in the hall!" This time Camila's voice was heard.

"Camila, can you stop telling everyone about the intimacies between you and your future wife?" Mariana begged. "Shane and I have been with you for four hours and we already know everything!! From the colour of the underwear you are wearing, to the fact that Lauren's favourite position in bed is between your legs!" The night had been a torment for both the singer and the doctor.

"CAMILA!" Her girlfriend screamed.

"You better get in there before those two drive Mariana and Shane crazy. Also, I do not want the VPB to cross examine me again!" Juliana swallowed hard as she remembered that moment, "I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" She gave her a quick kiss on the lips and turned towards the elevator.

"Hey!" Valentina called Juliana, who stopped the elevator. "See you tomorrow," she gave her a more intense kiss. "And let me know when you get home, okay?" The brunette smiled and nodded, she removed her hand from the door allowing the elevator to close.

When Valentina entered her apartment, she found her four friends sitting on her sofa eating ice cream.

"Do you want to tell me what the hell you are all doing here? And why you are eating all my ice cream?" She turned to the Latina. "And I'm warning you Lauren, the next time you interrupt me, you can forget that I am your maid of honour, do you hear me?" Valentina threatened.

"Okay Carvajal, stop with your stupid threats. Now spill the details..." she reduced the importance of Valentina's warning.

"How did it go? Where did you go? Who paid?" Shane was very interested.

"Did she treat you well? Why were you out so late?"

"Stop asking stupid questions!" The Latina interrupted Mariana, "Let's get to the most important questions first... How does the sweetie kiss? Did you touch that ass? Oh my God, I bet it's as hard as a rock..."

"Lern says that my butt is so hard that when she bites it, she is afraid of losing a tooth!" Camila said out of nowhere.

"CAMILA!!!" They all said in unison.

"You see Valen? This is what we had to endure all night while waiting for you to come home, so please have mercy on us and tell us about your date!" Begged Shane.

Valentina sighed, looked again at the faces of her friends who were expectant as if they were waiting for the continuation of the Hunger Games. "Well... Juliana is... she's wonderful, she's the perfect woman. She treats me as if I were a Queen and takes care of me as if I were porcelain, but..." she looked at her friends then sat on the sofa holding her head.

"What's up Valen?" Camila asked approaching her and stroking her back.

"Juliana is perfect, and I like her a lot, not to mention that she drives me crazy, and her kisses... Oh God her kisses! They leave me shaking. The way she looks at me, like I'm her greatest treasure and the way she loves Kara... EVERYTHING! Juliana is perfect!" The blonde finished her description.

"But..." Mariana knew there was 'but' coming.

"But I'm afraid!" Valentina concluded. "I am afraid I'll get hurt," she lifted her head out of her hands and looked at her friends. "I have never felt this," she touched her chest. "It is so hard being next to someone and feeling that you are short of breath, it has not been fifteen minutes since she left and I already want to see her again, and if it had not been for you..." she pointed a finger at Lauren. "I swear, I would have let her make love to me in the hallway!" She pointed to the door. "But every time she tells me something, I wonder if I am the only one who has ever heard it! Look at this dress..." she pointed to her clothes. "What if I am not the only woman who received something like this?" She got up from the chair and began to walk from one side of the room to the other. "For God's sake look at this list..." she grabbed the Google research pages that her father had left. "There are hundreds..."

"Thousands." Lauren corrected.

"There are thousands of women and..."

"And what women!" Interrupted Lauren. "Did you see the breasts of the Russian model? Look at page fourteen!" The Latina tried to grab the sheets.

"LAUREN!" The rest of her friends challenged her.

"But she's right, look at these women..." she turned the pages as if she were shuffling a deck of cards. "I'm stupid. At the restaurant tonight the women couldn't keep their eyes off her. Why would she choose me?" She fell on to the sofa throwing her head back.

"Well if you want, we can try the 'Holy Trinity' test Valen, it never fails, Mariana can take your place!" Lauren offered as an option. The Holy Trinity test consisted of Lauren, Camila and Valentina bringing out their best physical attributes to tempt the victim. It was a kind of fidelity test, they said. Neither Sam nor Derek had passed it successfully.

"Stop talking nonsense Lauren," demanded Shane.

"That test is not nonsense, and I remind you that your man DID NOT PASS IT!" Nobody messed with the test of the Holy Trinity created by Lauren, the daughter of Satan.

"Valentina." Camila intervened approaching her friend and ignoring the fight of the other two. "At this moment you are like a little sea turtle..." said the dancer leaving her four friends confused.

"Camzi Camz, I don't think this is a good time for you to tell V about the documentaries you like to watch!" Her future wife advised.

Without paying any attention to Lauren or the faces of the others, Camila explained, "Okay look, when the turtles are born, they have a long journey to get into the ocean, but on the way they could be caught by deprecators, right Lolo?" She asked.

"Predators darling," corrected the Latina.

"Yes. On the way they can be caught by predators." Camila waited for the others to congratulate her as if she had invented teleportation.

"I'm sorry Camz but I'm not following you," the last thing Valentina needed right now was to listen to her friend tell her about the programs she watched on Discovery kids.

"Don't you get it? You are the little sea turtle V. You are scared, afraid of what may happen to you before reaching your ocean. Juliana is your ocean and your fears, her past and your jealousy are the predators!" The girls all began to understand the dancer's metaphor.

"My fiancée is a genius!" Lauren said kissing Camila.

"Neither you nor the turtle can wait until there are no predators around, because without water the turtle dies... or at least I think that's what happened, Lolo changed the channel because she wanted to watch her soap opera," said the dancer.

"CAMILA, I TOLD YOU NOT TO TELL ANYONE!" Lauren was embarrassed while her friends held back their laughter. "You tell anyone and I will kill you, do you hear me?" She threatened.

"Lolo, lets help Valen first," she gave her a small kiss while the Latina stood with her arms crossed looking the other way. "The fact is, that without the water the turtle dies..."

"Just like Lauren if she doesn't watch her soap opera!" Shane mocked the green-eyed woman.

"WHY DON'T YOU SHUT UP..."

"Lolo, stop fighting, I want to talk to Valentina." Her fiancée silenced her, which made Lauren pout even more and blush when she heard Mariana and Shane imitate the sound of a whip.

"Valentina..." continued the dancer, "without water the turtles cannot live, can you live without Juliana?" She asked her friend.

It didn't take her long to answer, "I want Juliana in my life, I want her by my side, I need her by my side!" She declared.

"You see? She is your ocean. But to get there, you are going to have to take a risk and face all the predators," the dancer ended her fable.

Valentina hugged Camila, "Thank you Mila. I still don't understand how Lauren was so lucky to meet you, or how she convinced you to marry her!" Valentina smiled when she saw that Lauren proudly raised her chin. "I think I'll go to bed now girls. I have to get up early tomorrow to leave my parents to the airport," she got up from the sofa. "Good night and close the door when you leave... if you ever plan to leave!" She looked at Lauren over her shoulder.

"Who wants more ice cream?" Asked the Latina.

Valentina lifted bag on her way to the bedroom, she took out her cell phone to see a new message from Juliana.

_'I arrived safe and sound, although not completely whole, I left my mind, heart, and soul with you. Good night your majesty.'_

"Oh brunette, brunette!" She said to herself, "I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I'm going to get to the ocean no matter what."

That night Valentina dreamed of queens, turtles, tattoos, and Juliana. Mostly Juliana.

** Same apartment - Monday morning **

It was very difficult to distinguish Kara's head from all the hippopotamus. ' _My God Juliana, you have to stop giving her these things!'_ Valentina thought as she moved One, Two, Three, Four and Five to be able to wake up her daughter.

"Kara, honey, wake up," she said sweetly to her daughter who did not even register her mother's voice. "Kara, love, it's time to get up," she tried again. "Kara you have to go to school," this time she spoke a little louder and tried shaking her. The girl only turned her head to the other side.

When Valentina was about to pull the covers off her daughter and shout her name, she heard a knock on the door. "You've been saved dwarf, you have five more minutes," she murmured to her daughter and left to open the door.

"Good morning," greeted the brunette who had her hands full. "Can you help me with these please?" She asked the blonde.

"Juliana, how many coffees did you bring this time? I thought you already knew that I liked the latte." Valentina asked surprised.

"I brought your latte, Kara's chocolate milk and several more because I didn't know which one your parents would like," reasoned the athlete.

Valentina was about to explain to the athlete that her parents had left early but she was distracted by the brunette's outfit, Lauren was right those shorts should be prohibited.

"Valentina?" Called the brunette.

"HMMM?" The blonde raised her gaze to meet the brunette's.

"Are you enjoying the view?... You are eating my legs with your eyes... watch you don't hurt yourself," said Juliana mischievously.

"Very funny Miss Valdés, very funny. So funny that you know what? Now it's your turn to wake your daughter, then we'll see who's laughing!" No one who tries to wake Kara up on a Monday morning comes out unscathed.

"Hey... are you going to send me to war just like that, without so much as a good luck kiss?" Juliana approached the photographer.

"That would be very bad, maybe even cruel, if I did that, right?" The blonde answered in a very sensual tone, also approaching the brunette.

"Very, very bad. It might be the last you can give me before the attack of the little devil," they were already in front of each other.

When Valentina was about to kiss the athlete on the lips, she changed course and gave her a kiss on the cheek instead. "Good luck Private Valdés!" She said as she walked away.

"Is that all the luck I'm going to receive? Commander, this is a mission with almost no possibility of return!" Juliana pointed out. "I don't think a kiss on the cheek is enough."

"Oh! Did I kiss you on the cheek?" Valentina asked, pretending to be confused. Juliana nodded.

"Well, forgive me, it seems I have something in my eyes, and I do not see very well lately. I think it's an allergy called 'Juliana's legs' or something!" Valentina took revenge for the brunette's previous comment. "Now go wake up your daughter please," she gave her a little push.

"Sir, yes sir!" Juliana murmured as she put her hand to her head, imitating the salute of the military and walked towards Kara's room.

"PRIVATE VALDÉS, YOU OWE ME TWO HUNDRED PUSH-UPS!" Valentina shouted from the living room.

Fifteen minutes had passed since Valentina sent Juliana to wake Kara. It was difficult to wake the girl, but it should not to take this long either. She thought she should rescue her soldier.

"Juliana is ev..." Valentina couldn't finish the sentence because a hippopotamus hit her square in the face. "Can you tell me what is going on in here?" Valentina asked with the hippopotamus that had hit her now in her hands. She watched as Kara from the top of the bed, was attacking Juliana with a pillow in one hand and a stuffed animal in the other while the brunette counterattacked by throwing hippos from behind a chair.

"Good morning, mom, we are playing war. The hippos are infected with a lethal virus, you can't let them touch you!" Kara explained as she kept dodging the attacks from the brunette.

Valentina quickly let go of the teddy, she did not want to be infected with anything, even if it was imaginary. "JULIANA YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO WAKE HER, NOT ENTERTAIN HER!" She challenged the brunette.

"It's your fault! You gave me the idea of war!" Answered the brunette while a pillow flew over her head. "Hahaha! You missed. And you are left defenceless now, so... HEY!" Juliana received a big hippo on her head from the older blonde.

"YOU LOST! Hahaha, you're infected! Hahaha I'm the Lady of War!" Kara danced on top of the bed.

"VALENTINA INFECTED ME!" Juliana complained.

"Well, you forced me! I wouldn't have done it if you had just woken your daughter like I asked, instead of fooling around with her toys and making such a mess," the blonde defended herself. "RIGHT, I want you both in the kitchen having breakfast now. Do you hear me?" The girl and the brunette nodded. As soon as Valentina turned around to leave, a hippopotamus hit her on the back.

When she turned around, to apply the murderous look to the culprit, the two 'girls' had expressions of 'It wasn't me!' Shaggy would be proud.

"It was Juliana mom!" Kara hurried to say, pointing her finger at her other mother.

"You traitorous little devil!" Juliana ran to the bed to try to grab her but the little girl was faster and ran to the bathroom to get ready for school.

"Eh... Well, I think I'll go prepare breakfast, okay?" The brunette thought she could escape easily but apparently, she was wrong.

Before Juliana could leave the room and avoid the situation, Valentina arrived and closed the door of her daughter's room, leaving the basketball player trapped between her and the wall. The blonde put an arm on either side of Juliana's shoulders.

"You're not going anywhere." Valentina announced, looking at her intensely. While she brought her face a short distance from the brunettes. She placed her right leg between the athletes, pressing on her crotch. "You have no idea what it will cost you to have thrown that stuffed animal at me," she whispered a few centimetres away and pressing her leg harder against her hostage.

"Another two hundred push-ups?" Juliana asked swallowing hard, but the blonde shook her head and pressed her leg harder against her.

"Sit-ups?" Another denial, more pressure.

"Cold," whispered Valentina.

"Sprints?"

"Cold, very cold, almost frozen, I would say." Valentina spoke so close to the brunette that the latter could feel the vibrations on her lips. Not to mention the heat she was feeling between her legs. Juliana was not at all cold.

"Star jumps?" It was the last option she had. It had become very difficult to think when her blood was elsewhere.

"Hmm... No. What a pity," she licked her lips while putting all her strength to her right leg and pushing on Juliana's centre. "You froze!" She dodged her mouth and kissed the brunette's forehead but separated from her just as Kara came out of the bathroom. Juliana froze in her place.

"Are you ready honey?" The blonde asked her daughter as if nothing had happened.

"Yes mom. And mommy Juls?" Obviously Kara was not aware of the torture her new mother had just suffered.

"Your mom Juliana has to lift all your stuffed animals, or I'll have to punish her again, RIGHT JULS?" The blonde asked while walking through the door.

"Order the teddies, yes sir!" Was the response.  
  
  



	19. 19: You Win and I Lose

** Valentina's photography studio - On the morning of Juliana's first match **

"INES! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS LIGHT IS DOING HERE? I NEED THE LED LIGHT, I HAVE REPEATED THIS TWENTY TIMES. GEORGE! HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO BRING ME WHAT I ASKED FOR?"

Today was definitely not a good day to be an employee of Valentina Carvajal, she had been treating everyone badly for hours, trainees, assistants, technicians, publicists, models, representatives, no one was saved.

"There is a red flag and the sea is choppy." Inés announced softly to Lauren who had been entering her friend's workplace.

"What are the chances that it will change colour throughout the day?" Asked the Latina.

"Almost nil. Many possibilities of storm during the afternoon," answered Valentina's secretary in code.

"Approximate time of colour change?" Asked the Latina.

"From yesterday to this morning." Inés announced. They both watched as Valentina threw a photo in the face of a model and the young woman took off running towards the bathroom.

"Lauren try to do something please," the assistant begged her. "We still have many hours of work and she has all the staff petrified," she pointed around her. There was literally an intern sitting crying because Valentina had just called her useless.

"I will see what I can do. There is a reason that woman was captain of the cheerleading squad, you know!" The Latina knew what a bitch Valentina could be when she wanted. She went to the blonde, grabbed her arm and dragged her in to her office.

"WHAT THE HELL... LAUREN WHAT ARE YOU DOING? LET ME GO!" She complained, surprised by her friends appearance in the studio.

"Stop screaming!" Said the lawyer as they entered the office and closed the door. "Valentina I have known you since kindergarten, from the day we both made a child cry to get them off the swings, I know something is wrong with you, so c'mon tell me." Lauren pressed.

"My only problem is that I am surrounded by incompetent people. That is my problem... by the way, what are you doing here?" She asked trying to avoid the subject.

"First, I remind you that I am your legal advisor, I review all your contracts and therefore I knew that today the models would be rehearsing for Sport Illustrated, and I was not going to miss it for anything! And secondly, do not give me that 'nothings wrong' with you crap, I know your 'problem' has a first and last name: 'Juliana Valdés!'" Her friend said, using air quotation marks with her hands. "So I'm warning you V, start talking now or I'll be forced to call Camila. Do you want that? You know she'll get the words out of you, especially after telling you more about the little sea turtles." Lauren threatened.

"If you call Camila, I'll tell her what you are really doing here!" Valentina counterattacked making a mocking face.

"Hahaha, don't make me laugh. Camila knows! She told me to take lots of photos and to ask Irina Shayk to sign my chest!" The Latina explained casually. "You're not going to talk? Well you asked for it," she grabbed her cell phone and pressed speed dial number one.

"Cut that call right now!" Valentina tried to grab her cell phone but Lauren was faster.

"Hello Camzi Camz... wait for a second love..." she looked at Valentina, "have you changed your mind?" She asked the photographer.

"FINE, I'm fine, do not make Camila come here!" Valentina said angrily as she lifted her iPad and began searching for something.

"No love not yet... Yes, you can stay calm, I have the camera with me... Yes love, I remember, the left breast... Well yes, I'll see you later, I have to talk to Valentina now... I love you too." The call ended, and she waited for the blonde. "Okay? Start talking dumb blonde!" Lauren said.

"This is why I'm upset Lauren," she turned her iPad to show the cover of the 'Indianapolis news' newspaper.

"Wow, they discovered a new oil well in Indiana. That's brilliant!" Lauren was celebrating ironically. Downplaying the true image that Valentina showed her and reading other news.

"Don't be funny, you wanted me to talk, well there you go. On the cover of the most important newspaper in Indianapolis. Juliana Valdés running SEMI NAKED through the streets of the city!" Valentina pointed out as she tapped the photo of the basketball player with her finger.

"And?" Asked the lawyer who did not see anything strange in the photo.

"And? Are you serious? Juliana... MY JULIANA IS NAKED IN A NEWSPAPER... My God! Look how that girl in the corner of the picture is looking at her!" She pointed to the photo. "Listen to the title of the article, 'JULIANA VALDES, THE NEW STAR OF NEW YORK LIBERTY SHOWS OFF HER TONED BODY ON THE STREETS OF OUR CITY...' BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!" Valentina read with a mocking tone. "Do you know who wrote the article?" Valentina asked rhetorically, "A WOMAN. A woman who seems to be VERY HOT FOR MY GIRLFRIEND! The girlfriend with whom I have not been able to talk to for more than five fucking minutes since she left!" The blonde finished yelling at the screen.

"FIRST, she is not naked, she is wearing a top and the very sexy shorts that she uses when she wants all the women of New York to drool over her!" Valentina rolled her eyes. Her friend wasn't helping at all. "And SECOND... do you hear what you're saying V? You called her YOUR girl, YOUR girlfriend! And I know she is neither of those two things!" Lauren reviewed.

"I didn't say that!" She tried to remember what she had said to try and defend herself.

"Yes, you did! It seems like you are getting ahead of yourself V, you have barely gone out once and look at you..." she pointed at her, "jealousy is eating you!" She concluded grabbing the iPad to look at the photo again.

"I can't help it!" Valentina stood up from her chair. "No matter where Juliana goes, there are always girls drooling over her! What do I do, Lern?" Asked the blonde, but she did not receive an answer. "Lern?" She turned to look at her friend, "CAN YOU STOP PERVING AT THE PHOTO?!" Valentina snatched the iPad from her hands, locked it and left it on the desk.

"Do you think Juliana wants to sign a breast for me?" Lauren asked thoughtfully. A question that earned a killer look. "Valentina listen, do you see where you are? Think about what you do for work!" Asked the lawyer.

"Look, if you are about to tell me another fairy-tale about turtles and oceans, you can save it! Because I am not interested! Last night Kara and Juliana made me watch Nemo again for the hundredth time. I swear that if they make me watch it once more, my native language will become whale!" She told her friend.

"I thought you didn't talk to her last night?" Lauren asked remembering the previous conversation.

"I didn't! Kara grabbed the cell phone before I could, they talked for about two hours and then watched Nemo. It was very frustrating!" Explained Valentina.

"Well V, what I was going to say was... no it's not a fairy-tale!" She anticipated when she saw her friend was about to protest. "You work with semi-naked women all the time! Today you're going to see women in bikinis all fucking day, Valentina!" Lauren reasoned.

"You said it Lauren, it is work! A JOB!" The photographer pointed out while someone knocked on the door.

"Permission?" Ines entered the office, "Valentina, there are five people at the door, they say they have brought something for you," the secretary informed her.

"Not now Inés, can you sign for it? Or one of the interns? I'm busy," she wanted to finish talking to the Latina before resuming the photos.

"They gave me this..." she handed her a note, "in case you wouldn't receive them," explained the secretary.

Valentina read the note:

_'Five gifts for the five times I would have kissed you if I weren't so far away.'_

And without any warning she went out the door.

"Where are they Ines? Let them in immediately!" The rest of the staff looked at their boss waiting to see what was happening.

"This way please," and one by one, all five men dressed in the same uniform entered the studio and stood side by side without saying a word. Each of them brought a package of the same size but wrapped in different colours.

"Are you sure that this is not some kind of terrorist attack Valentina? Those packages could hold a bomb no problem!" Lauren asked, looking suspiciously at the men.

"It's from Juliana!" Valentina said and quickly moved to the first of the packages. But when she went to retrieve the box, the man holding it sang...

♬ **_I CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU_** ♬

He gave the blonde a note. And she read with a whisper:

_"I would have kissed you yesterday when I said goodbye to you and Kara. I would have kissed you and told you that I didn't want to leave, that I won't let you go, that I need you by my side."_

After reading it again, she raised her head and looked at the man who had given her the card. The man opened the box and took out a huge bouquet of red roses that Valentina admired when she took them from him.

Then it was the turn of the second man, who also recited the line from the song...

♬ **_I CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU_** ♬

He also gave her a card:

_'I would have kissed you on the plane simply because I know that your kisses would make me forget my fear of take-off. Unlike the previous one, in this kiss I would thank you for the way you take care of me. It would be a slow and sweet kiss.'_

The man opened the box and took out two stuffed dogs that were joined by their noses, like they were kissing.

As soon as Valentina had the stuffed animals in her hands, she heard how the third man sang...

♬ **_I CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU_** ♬

Without waiting for the man to move, the blonde went for the note:

_'I would have given everything to be there with you and Kara and watch you both sleep while Nemo played in the background. I would have kissed you right after wishing you Good Night, a short kiss that we would continue the next morning.'_

This time Inside the box there was another shirt just like the one Valentina had chosen to sleep in, but this one had Juliana's perfume.

♬ **_I CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU_** ♬

The penultimate of the men sang while Valentina enjoyed the scent of the brunette emanating from the T-shirt. She took the fourth note and read:

_"I would have kissed you in my dreams and I think I did... Although_ _,_ _I_ _am_ _sure there was more than kissing!"_

Valentina smiled and waited to see the surprise. This surprise was not for her, a stuffed hippo came out of the box. As soon as Valentina took it, she could hear the Latina mumbling the number six, referring to the name her daughter would most likely give her new toy. Juliana always remembered Kara.

♬ **_I CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU_** ♬

This time the messengers sang in chorus, but it was the last man who gave the blonde a card:

_"I would kiss you right now. And I would kiss you in such a way that you could never forget me. Please don't forget me!"_

Valentina finished reading and hurried to see the last gift. It was the one she liked the most. In a beautiful picture frame, the brunette was lifting her daughter in the air, both with huge smiles on their faces. A real 'Kodak' moment, she thought.

The messengers left as quietly as they entered. When Valentina turned to look at her friend, she realised that everyone, including all her staff, had witnessed the scene like some kind of afternoon soap opera.

"Ines?" Valentina called, standing with all the gifts in her arms.

As soon as the secretary realised that her boss had called her, she yelled to the others, "EVERYONE GO BACK TO WORK! THE SHOWS OVER!" She said clapping her hands.

"NO, NO!" Valentina stopped them. "YOU HAVE THE REST OF THE DAY OFF. TAKE ADVANTAGE TO REST AND I'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW." Nobody understood what was happening. But before the boss regretted her decision, more than one employee had already pressed the elevator button.

"Inés cancel today's shoot and reschedule it for tomorrow please, if they say anything, tell them I decided to cancel. And then you can go home too," she added as she went to her office.

Ines approached Lauren. "White Flag! Whoever sent those gifts, I will be forever grateful to her."

"I'm going to find Kara." Valentina announced to her friend leaving her office with a box containing her recent acquisitions. "See you tonight?" She gave her a kiss on the cheek and left as if nothing had happened.

"And who the fuck is going to sign my chest now?" Lauren complained as she left the studio behind her former captain.  
  


** Kara's school **

"Mamaaaa!" The girl ran out looking at her mother. "What are you doing here, you never come get me?" It was true. Most days it was Juliana who collected her and the others it was one of her aunts.

Valentina was surprised to see the number of children who came running after her daughter and were now staring at her. "Eh... Kara, who are they?" She asked her daughter. Obviously, Valentina had something against poor Tlacoyo.

"My friends!" Kara answered as if it were obvious. "Guys, this is my other mom," the little girl informed them.

"HELLO MISS CARVAJAL!" They greeted in chorus.

"Kara approached her mother's ear, "They do everything I say!" The girl had realised her popularity. "But Mommy Juls says that I'm not allowed to boss them around, or force them to do things, she says that I have to defend them, something like protecting their backs because they are my friends." The mini blonde explained.

"Well, I think Juliana is absolutely right," she said to her daughter. "And do you know what else Juliana did?" Valentina asked which intrigued the girl, "She sent you a gift, it's in the car!" Valentina did not notice when Kara left her side, she only felt the wind as the girl rushed past her followed by all the other children.

"Miss Carvajal, what are you doing here? I thought Miss Valdés would come for her today," said the girl's teacher, somewhat disappointed.

Valentina noticed the woman's disappointment, "Well, I came for my daughter today, is there a problem with that?" Valentina asked defiantly.

"Eh no, no problem, I just wanted to ask Juliana something and..."

"That's Miss Valdés to you!" Valentina corrected. "And you can ask me, I am also Kara's mother, right?" The blonde pressed.

"Well, the thing is... I was going to ask her if she would like to come to the class talk on Thursday, we have a careers talk every year and I thought that Juli... sorry, Miss Valdes..." she hastened to correct, "could represent the profession of professional sports." Explained the teacher, proud of her idea.

"Well, not only will I tell JULI..." she remarked on the nickname, "to come..."

"Seriously?" Miss Kim was delighted.

"Can you let me finish?" Obviously Miss Kim had now been blacklisted by Valentina. The teacher nodded. "Not only will I tell her, but I will also come to the class." The photographer finished.

"Oh, there is no need Miss Carvajal..." the teacher tried to stop her.

"Actually, I do consider it to be necessary, children should know about crafts related to art. And who better than the most requested photographer in New York..." Valentina felt the need to brag a little, "to teach them. Would you not agree?" Oh no, the killer look.

"Sure, of course... eh, well then, we will see you both on Thursday." The teacher did not want to suffer another second and rushed off. Valentina, as with Kara, felt only the wind as the teacher passed her.

** Valentina's Apartment - One hour before the game **

"No Kara. I said no, end of story!" Mother and daughter were again in the living room arguing in front of their friends as spectators.

"But mom it's her first game, can I not watch the first half?" The little girl had tried all kinds of strategies, screaming, false crying, tantrums, begging. At this moment her last option was to appeal with pouts. "Please, please, please!" She was clutching her mother's legs.

Just before the final decision could be made, the blonde's cell phone rang. Valentina, dragging her daughter on her leg, answered, "Hello," she said with the sweetest voice she had. "I was waiting for you to call so I could wish you luck," she said to the person who was constantly occupying her thoughts and causing her insomnia.

"I wanted to talk to you earlier, but the coach had me watching the videos of our opponents. This is the first chance I had to call." Juliana explained.

"Thank you..." Valentina said, "thank you for all the gifts, for the music, for everything! It made me feel very special."

"Valentina, you are special. And I want to let you know every day of my life. I... I miss you." The blonde had a hard time understanding the end of what Juliana said.

"Me too... Yes Kara, it's your mother." Valentina answered her daughter who had been asking insistently. Juliana heard movement on the cell phone and thought they had cut her off until she heard a little voice from the other side

"Mommy?"

~~~~~~

When Kara ended the call with Juliana, she told Valentina that her mother had been called for warm-up. Once again, the frustrated older blonde swallowed her words.

** Indianapolis - With 10 minutes to go **

"TORRES! WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU NOT GIVING THE BALL TO VALDÉS? WE ARE LOSING BY TWELVE POINTS... COULD YOU DO ME THE FAVOUR OF PASSING THE BALL TO THE ONLY PLAYER WHO KNOWS HOW TO PUT IT IN THE BASKET!" Arizona was on the verge of a heart attack.

"I don't think Valdés is our only option, coach," said the player.

"YOU ARE DONE TORRES! THIS GAME IS OVER FOR YOU... BENCH NOW! AND YOU WILL WARM THE BENCH UNTIL YOU LEARN WHO THE COACH ACTUALLY IS!" She pointed to the bench with her arm while the referee whistled the end of time out. "VALDÉS!" Arizona called her, "I want you to win this game, do you hear me?"

"Yes, coach, calm down." Juliana winked at her and entered the court.

** Valentina's Apartment **

"Come on, sweetie just two more points. Come on. Give me two more points." Lauren begged the TV.

"How long is left?" Mariana asked, who was now helping Valentina pick up the remains of the dinner plates. Valentina was nervous and could not stay still.

"Ten seconds!" Derek answered, he and Lauren were kneeling in front of the TV.

**_'Valdés has the ball...'_ **

Sam who was getting ready to tease his friends started the countdown, "five, four, three..."

**_'Valdés on the three-point line... the pressure is on, can she make the basket and win the game?'_ **

"YEEESSSSSSS!" Lauren and Derek shouted. "In your face trout mouth!" The Latina scoffed.

Valentina's joy was short lived when her focus returned to the television, she watched as Juliana was embraced by not just one woman, but by many, many women. Juliana had won the game, but the blonde was losing the fight against her jealousy.  
  
  



	20. 20. Does anyone want to ask something?

  
** Valentina's Photography Studio - Wednesday afternoon **

"LAUREN CAN YOU STOP HARASSING THE MODELS?" Valentina was tired of watching Lauren drool, she grabbed her arm and separated her from the girl she was talking to. "I swear you won't be my lawyer much longer if you continue to embarrass me!" Valentina threatened.

"Stop throwing tantrums, dumb blonde, cool your ass, will you? I know that photographing these models raises your temperature... especially when you don't have the sweetie to rub you against the door! So calm down, the main dish still hasn't arrived, and speaking of... what time do you think the lady will arrive? She will not escape me this time. She will sign my chest today!" The lawyer was determined that Irina Shayk would fulfil the promise she had made to her fiancée.

"Lauren that woman is a headache, she is a complete Diva. She'll arrive when she feels like it, and we have to work around her! She is the worst model I have ever had to work with. Wait until she finds out that her wardrobe has been changed!" Valentina sighed, "Anyway, I don't know why you torture yourself with these things..." a model in a black bikini passed in front of them and they both admired the view, "you can't do anything, at least I'm single!" Another woman in an animal print bikini walked by and the heads of the two friends turned again.

"Hahaha, single?" Laughed the Latina. "You don't even believe that, Valen. You may not have the title yet, but the hottie is what you want!" Affirmed the green-eyed woman as their heads turned again to follow another statuesque model.

"Valentina?" Her secretary called, "Irina Shayk is on her way up," she informed her.

"Good, we can finally end this session. I'm exhausted!" Valentina hadn't had a good night. She couldn't stop thinking about Juliana, and it was getting her nowhere, like a hamster on a wheel. To make matters worse she hadn't answered any of Juliana's calls.

She looked at Lauren. "Hey, you need to behave, okay? I do not want any problems with this woman!" She warned her friend. One thing she had learned from dating Sara, was that models could be very unpredictable and volatile.

"Calm Valentina, think of me as your second pair of eyes or willing consultant." She tried to sound as innocent as possible.

"LISTEN EVERYONE!" The photographer addressed her team, "LET'S START WITH THE LAST PART OF THE SESSION. I WANT EVERYTHING TO BE PERFECT!" Just then, the professional model came into the office followed by her entourage, including her stylist, makeup artist, agent and two other people that Valentina didn't recognise. "Irina, how are you? Your dressing room is ready, and when you are dressed, we can start." She pointed to the corridor that led to the dressing room.

The model took off her sunglasses and looked at the photographer. "I hope the photographs are of better quality this time. The last photos were not as flattering!" Irina was off to a good start, she was already getting into dangerous territory with the photographer.

"If you had followed my instructions, we would have avoided certain imperfections, but you chose to do things your way..." every time Valentina remembered that day the headaches returned, "maybe this time, you will pay attention to the photographer!" The blonde finished by pointing in the direction of the dressing room.

"OKAY, EVERYONE TO YOUR PLACES, WE ARE GOING TO DO SOME LIGHT TESTS," she indicated to the staff. Valentina got behind the camera and was about to give the first click when she heard her daughter's voice.

"MAMI, MAMI... SURPRISE!" The girl jumped on her mother who in turn almost lost her balance, Valentina was going to have to explain to her daughter that they did not all have the same strength as Juliana.

"Hello darling! What are you doing here? I thought Aunt Camz was going to take you to her dance classes?" She added, since it was the dancer's turn to collect her little girl.

"I didn't come with aunt Camz mom," said the little girl, "I came with..."

"She came with me." Wow! JULIANA VALDÉS live In New York City.

"Juliana!" An instant smile appeared on the photographer's face. "I thought you weren't arriving until tonight?" That was what her daughter had told her.

"I know, but I couldn't take it any longer, I really wanted to see you, and after that last shot Arizona couldn't deny me anything, so she changed my flight to this morning," Juliana said excitedly. "You should have seen the kangaroo's face!" She smiled while ruffling the little girl's hair.

"And Miss Kim!" Kara added without realising that her mother would not like the comment.

"Hey..." Juliana looked at the blonde, "when were you going to tell me about the careers talk? Miss Kim said she is expecting us both tomorrow?" Asked the brunette.

"Kara!" Lauren interrupted when she spotted her niece, "Did you come with Camz or..." she trailed off when she saw the brunette. "Juliana!" She ran to hug her, "My God, what a game! Thirty-two points, you are a fucking star!" She lifted her into the air. "Derek and I took fifty dollars from the trout mouth! I think after seeing you play, he will not dare to bet again!" Lauren was still enjoying Sam's torment.

"I'm glad to have helped you Lauren," said Juliana before turning to the blonde. "Valentina, can we talk?" She asked her non-girlfriend.

"Well if it isn't the one and only Juliana Valdés!" This was the last straw, Irina had now appeared from her dressing room and was approaching the small group sensually in her dressing gown. "The magazines tell the truth, you are here and are sexier than ever!" The model stroked the athlete's arm.

Juliana dodged Irina's hand subtly, she could feel Valentina's gaze on the back of her neck. "How are you, Irina?" She greeted.

"Well, now that I see you, I am much better!" She tried the touch the brunette again, but Juliana backed away.

"If you are ready, I would like to start now." Valentina told the model without even looking at Juliana, "I don't want to waste any more time. EVERYONE!" The employees looked at their boss, "LET'S START... IRINA CAN YOU FIND YOUR MARKER ON THE SET." Valentina gave directions from behind her camera.

The model took one last look at the athlete and began to walk, but not before slowly dropping her robe as if she were Charlize Theron in a perfume commercial, but instead of being naked she had a tiny flesh-coloured bikini.

This gesture caused more than one person, including Lauren, to start fanning themselves, but that was not the case with Juliana. Juliana had her eyes fixed on Valentina. She came up behind the blonde who was focusing her lens. "Valentina before you start can we talk?" She asked timidly.

"Juliana, I'm working in case you haven't noticed!" The basketball player was starting to feel hurt. The blonde didn't even turn to look at her.

"Please... just two seconds, last night you didn't answer my calls and..."

"Do you think that I should be available to you at all times? I have more important things to do." Another blow for the athlete.

The brunette took a deep breath and tried again, "Valentina!" She grabbed her by the waist and forced her to turn and face her, "I don't know what the hell is wrong with you, but I need to talk to you!"

"Can we start once and for all?" Irina asked from the set.

"You see? YOUR GIRL..." Valentina pointed, "she's in a hurry... let me work Juliana!" She tried to turn around, but the brunette stopped her.

"Can we meet tonight?" Juliana did not understand what was happening but she knew that she needed to be alone with the blonde, she had already lost a lot of time.

"Tonight, I am going out with my friends," another blow. "You can leave Kara here with me," added Valentina before turning away.

Juliana stared at the blonde's back, waiting for her to turn around and say, _'I'm kidding! I love you, do you want to marry me?'_ But that did not happen. On the contrary, she started to give orders.

"LET'S START! IRINA CAN YOU STAND IN FRONT OF THE WIND MACHINE," ordered Valentina.

Juliana approached and spoke in the blonde's ear, "I hope you know what you are doing because you are hurting me." This was the last thing she said before kissing Kara and leaving the office.

"GEORGE, I NEED MORE LIGHT ON THE LEFT SIDE," ordered the photographer trying to concentrate on her work.

** Kara's School - Career Day **

"Attention children. Can we be silent? Rafa Gorgori, stop eating the plasticine!" Miss Kim stood in front of the class ready to begin the presentation of her guests.

"Good!" She said when the class fell silent. "I want to introduce you to Mr Adams, he owns a chewing gum factory and comes on behalf of the merchants. This is Miss Brockovich and she is a Lawyer. Next, we have Miss Carvajal, and she is a photographer and comes to represent the arts and..."

"Hi!" Juliana entered the classroom. The boys and girls already knew the brunette, they had seen her on television and at the school because she was Kara's mother.

"Miss Valdés, what a pleasure to have you here." Miss Kim greeted, "Children, I introduce you to Juliana Valdés, star of the New York Liberty who will represent professional sports." The teacher applauded and encouraged the children to follow her. Valentina rolled her eyes.

"Well, who wants to go first?" The teacher asked the adults. "Would you like to start Mrs Brockovich?" The woman agreed and took her place at the front of the class. "If you wouldn't mind sitting at the empty desks," she addressed the other adults.

Valentina found a vacant seat and Juliana sat next to her.

"Were you late because your company did not wake you before leaving your bed?" Valentina attacked without mercy.

Juliana smiled mischievously, but said nothing.

"Is that a yes? Of course it is a yes. Who was it this time... a model, a teacher or one of your teammates?" The blonde kept harassing the athlete.

"Miss Carvajal can you be silent?" Miss Kim asked, drawing Valentina's attention. Valentina blushed and got even more angry when she saw how Juliana was struggling to hold her laughter.

"I'm sorry..." she apologised to the teacher, "it won't happen again." She clarified crossing her arms and leaning back on her chair.

The lawyer began to speak. Within fifteen minutes, Valentina's mind was somewhere else until she received a note from the brunette.

_'How was your night with your friends?'_

The photographer looked at the brunette as if to say, little notes? Seriously? But she did not delay in answering.

_'Great! It has been a long time since I had so much fun!'_

Juliana finished reading, smiled, wrote and handed the paper back to her companion.

' _I'm sure! Staying at home watching 'Imagine Me and You' with Camila and Lauren while they eat ice cream must be hilarious!'_

Automatically Valentina's face changed colour. She looked for another piece of paper and wrote furiously.

_'Treacherous Rat!'_

She made a ball out of the paper and threw it at her daughter. But apparently the blonde did not have much aim because the paper fell two desks from Kara's. The girl who grabbed it immediately looked at Valentina scared after reading the paper. The blonde tried to gesture to the other girl to pass it to her daughter. "Pass it to Kara," she said almost without sound. Juliana body shook as she held her laughter. "Pass it on to Kara!" She said a little louder, but the girl kept staring at Valentina hypnotised like a rabbit in head lights. "PASS IT TO KARA!" It came out louder than she wanted.

"Miss Carvajal, do you have a question?" The teacher Miss Kim had noticed the restless photographer.

"Eeehhh... I find your profession very interesting, Mrs. Zockovich," she tried to get out of the awkward situation.

"Brockovich!" Corrected the woman.

"I do not know how Miss Carvajal can forget names so easily." Juliana added, earning a killer look from Valentina.

The blonde whispered, "That's brazen coming from you!"

"Can we continue?" The teacher asked Valentina, the blonde nodded from her desk.

Valentina took the paper where they had started to write and handed it to the brunette.

_'We can't all have models like Irina Shayk in our bed every night, like you!'_

This time the smile did not appear on Juliana's face, the opposite happened, she frowned and began to write. She passed the note back to Valentina.

_'You are wrong. And in your bed, there will be no models. They will have to climb over my dead corpse first.'_

Valentina was laughing now. Juliana pulled the paper out of her hand and wrote again, then handed it back to the blonde.

_'Wipe that idiotic smile off your face. Models are forbidden, I want you to quit your job right now, I'm going to lock you up in a tower and you're going to have to wait thousands of years for a green ogre to rescue you.'_

Valentina smiled again, provoking the brunette. The blonde began to write her reply. When she finished her masterpiece, she gave it a kiss and extended her arm towards Juliana, but pulled it back several times teasing the brunette before finally giving it to her, she enjoyed having the brunette at her mercy.

The athlete wasted no time and read,

_'Don't you know who the star photographer of the 2019 Victoria's Secret campaign is?'_

Juliana looked at the paper, looked at Valentina, back at the paper and finally at Valentina.

"You?" She murmured pointing to the blonde with her finger. Valentina nodded, smiling maliciously. "No! No, no, no, no, no!" Juliana whispered, she shook her head from one side to the other. "I forbid you!" She said very slowly to the blonde. But Valentina put her hand behind her ear pretending she couldn't hear, Juliana grabbed the paper roughly and wrote.

_'I FORBID YOU!'_

Valentina grabbed the note, read it, covered her mouth to prevent the laugh from coming out and replied on the paper.

_'Oh... and I forgot to mention that Sara is one of the models. Do you remember her?_   
_My ex-girlfriend?'_

She passed the paper back to the athlete.

"NOOOO!" Whoops, she said that one out loud.

"Miss Valdés, is something wrong?" Asked Miss Kim.

"Yes Miss Valdés, did something happen to you? Valentina asked smiling.

"NOOO... I can't believe that we're not applauding Mrs. Tronkovich!" Juliana started to applaud, "LET'S GO KIDS... A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THIS GREAT ACCOUNTANT."

"Lawyer!" She was corrected.

"YES, AN APPLAUSE FOR THIS GREAT LAWYER!" She applauded louder and the whole class followed her, when they calmed down Juliana sat down at the desk again. She glared at Valentina. "Don't even think about doing that photo session..." the brunette had to stop because a paper ball hit her on the head. Valentina took the paper and opened the ball.

**_'Can you two stop clowning around, you are embarrassing me!'_ **

The two women looked behind them to see Kara challenging them with her eyes.

"I told you she inherited your murderous gaze!" Juliana told Valentina.

~~~~~~

Mr. Adams was next to present his career, Juliana thought that at the very least he could have brought some chewing gum as a gift, but instead he spent thirty minutes talking about how important it is to brush your teeth after chewing gum... BORING!

"Does anyone have a question for Mr Adams?" Asked the teacher, when there was no response she spoke again. "Okay. Mrs. Carvajal would you like to go next?" It was clear that Miss Kim was saving Juliana for last.

Valentina stood in front of the class and began to explain her work. She showed the children the different cameras that she had brought with her, she explained the different lights and even let them take some photos. If Valentina hadn't been wearing the sexiest dress on the planet, Juliana might have paid more attention to what she was saying.

"Does anyone want to ask Mrs. Carvajal a question?" Miss Kim asked the class, "Well let's move on then..."

"I want to ask something." Juliana said raising her hand and receiving a warning look from the two Carvajal ladies.

"Well, a parent has never asked another parent a question, but I suppose that is fine..." the teacher accepted, "Go ahead."

"What kind of women do you usually photograph?" Juliana asked.

"I do not understand your question," answered the blonde.

"I mean, are they always 90-60-90 models?" She corrected and waited for the answer very interested.

Valentina knew where that question came from, "Most of the time, yes. Very pretty women. Other times they are professional male models, tall, broad, with marked muscles and..."

"I think we understand!" Interrupted the teacher, "Okay, let's continue with..."

"I have another question," the athlete announced raising her hand again. The whole class turned to look at her. She didn't even wait for clearance, "Are all the photo sessions of models in their underwear?" This time Juliana was the one who would kill poor Tlacoyo.

"Not only in underwear, but also in bathing suits, tiny bathing suits!" Mr Adams muttered something unintelligible while shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "Many times we lack enough people, so we have to collaborate with the costume department and help the models to undress!" Valentina amused herself watching Juliana's face rise in colour as she continued to speak.

"Well, I think you can sit down now, Miss..." Miss Kim tried to finish the interrogation.

"Is that not prohibited by the protective association of models or something like that?" Juliana didn't want her girl near any other woman. "I mean, isn't it unprofessional for you to undress the models?" She asked again, she was a very attentive student.

"On the contrary, many models do it on purpose to get the photographer's attention. And you shouldn't be surprised when I tell you that it happens pretty often." Valentina was definitely enjoying 'Career day', jealous Juliana was something she would pay to see every day.

"And how much does it cost to hire you exclusively?" Asked the brunette, who didn't even bother to ask for permission.

"HMMM... I'm sorry Miss Valdés, many have tried, but none can afford me!" Valentina winked and went to sit at her desk, gently brushing Juliana as she passed her. The children gave her a round of applause.

"Thank you, Miss Carvajal. And now the highlight of the morning. Juliana Valdés," announced the teacher.

Juliana did not go to the front of the class like the others but began to walk between the desks. She briefly explained the rules of the game, showed positions, and to Valentina's bad luck, she asked Miss Kim act as her defender. Juliana's charisma with the children was incredible, she made them laugh, participate, clap. Valentina couldn't help but imagine a family full of Mini Valdés, like the Von Trapp's but playing basketball instead of singing. By the end of the talk, not only were the children tired of running around and jumping, but Miss Kim looked like she needed a really cold shower. Valentina thought about changing Kara's school immediately.

"Well, before I finish, I need my wonderful assistant to help me..." she pointed to Kara. "Kara is going to give everyone a ticket to tonight's game, if your parents allow you of course." The children clapped and cheered.

"Wow, that is very generous of you! Let's give a loud applause to thank all of our guests today, especially Juliana!" Valentina rolled her eyes while the children clapped.

"Do I not get a ticket?" Valentina asked as they left the classroom.

"You don't need one. You have already been added to the VIP list." Juliana explained as if it were something obvious.

"Everybody?" Valentina wanted to make sure.

"YES! You, my daughter and all your friends." Juliana informed her. "And after the game, you and I are going out to eat... No, let me talk!" She anticipated when she saw that Valentina was about to interrupt her. "You and I are going out to eat, you can choose the restaurant, it's time for us to talk, I am tired of these little games." Juliana spoke very seriously. "Promise me that you will wait for me after the game Valentina. Promise me!" The brunette insisted, invading the blonde's personal space.

Valentina knew she had no choice, she couldn't say no to Juliana. "I promise."  
  



	21. 21: The first, not the last

** Valentina's Apartment **

"AUNT LOLO HURRY UP!" Kara called her aunt again. She had gone to the bathroom for the tenth time to get ready. "Mom, can you go look for her? I want to say hello to Mommy Juls before the game starts." The girl convinced her mother while pouting.

Valentina knocked insistently on the bathroom door, "LAUREN!" She knocked again, "LAUREN WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE!" More knocking, "LAUREN JAUREGUI IF YOU DO NOT GET OUT OF THAT BATHROOM RIGHT NOW, I WILL BUY CAMILA ANOTHER CAT!" Threatened the blonde.

The door was thrown open, "You do not have to go to extremes Valentina, don't even say that jokingly! Do I look ok?" Asked the lawyer who was wearing a short dress, she looked like she was going to a party rather than a basketball game.

Valentina looked her up and down, but Shane answered before her, "Satan, you know we are going to a basketball game, right?" The Latina nodded. "Then why the hell are you wearing an evening dress?" She asked without mincing her words.

"Hey... we are the VIP guests of the teams star player! This..." she pointed to her clothes, "will look beautiful on camera!" Concluded the Latina. "And you can also see the end of Irina's signature, see?" She showed her chest to her friends.

"I'M NOT SITTING NEXT TO LAUREN!" Derek said raising his hand.

"ME NEITHER!!" Said the rest in chorus with their hands raised.

"CAMZ! Lower your hand!" The lawyer demanded.

"I'm sorry Lolo, but if they focus on us on the stadium screen, I don't want people to laugh at us." Camila explained reasonably leaving Lauren thinking.

"I'll be right back," the Latina announced and went into Valentina's room.

"NOOOOO! MAMI we're going to be late!" The girl could not bear another change of clothes from her aunt.

"I know honey... I know!" Valentina calmed her daughter on the sofa.

** In the Liberty Stadium **

"Look at those idiots lining up." Lauren pointed to the people who were waiting to enter the stadium. "VIP'S LIKE US DON'T HAVE TO WAIT!" She said aloud. The quasi-fame had gone to her head.

"Lauren can you stop that!" Valentina challenged her, "Kara darling don't run," she added when she saw her daughter was moving quickly towards a big security guard at the entrance of the stadium.

"Jack!" The little girl greeted the Man.

"Hey little Kara, you've arrived! Juliana was worried," apparently the man was waiting for them.

"Kara?" Valentina approached her daughter when she saw her chatting with the man.

"Mom, this is Jack, mommy Juls sent him to wait for us." The little girl explained, pointing to the man who was now talking on the phone.

When they were all together Jack ushered them in. "Okay, Juliana told me to ask you if you would prefer to watch the game in the stands or from the private box?" The man looked at them waiting for an answer.

"FROM THE STANDS," they answered in unison, being a few meters from the court was something they were not going to miss.

"Perfect! Here are your passes. They are for the whole season," Jack explained. "If you can wait here for a few seconds, I will accompany these ladies to the boardroom..." he gestured towards the Carvajal ladies, "and I'll be back to take you to your seats," the others agreed.

"V!" Lauren called her friend. "Don't distract the sweetie too much, you know... don't be squeezing her against the doors! I have money at stake here and the face the trout mouth makes when we make fun of him is SPECTACULAR! A few kisses no more, do not use your tongue so much..."

"JESUS LAUREN!... I got it! And I'm going with my daughter for God's sake!" Valentina said as she grabbed the girl's hand and they followed Jack.

The man led them into the boardroom where the team president, managers, investors, etc. would usually meet. At the end of the huge oak table, already dressed in her kit, was Juliana. She was bent over bandaging her feet but when she raised her head and spotted her two favourite people, a huge smile spread across her face.

"MOMMY!" The little girl ran to the end of the table and easily climbed on top of her, but Valentina lingered at the other end of the table.

"Hello kangaroo! I thought you weren't coming," she said looking at one and then the other.

"It was Aunt Lolo's fault, she put on her outfit, then changed into another and another, mother had to force her to leave the room," said the girl, calling the attention of the athlete who had not been able to stop looking at Valentina. "Why are you wearing that?" She pointed to the bandages. "Are you hurt?" Kara asked in a worried tone.

"Nope, it's just a precaution, but I still have to bandage my other foot..." Juliana didn't want to put her daughter down but she needed to finish getting ready.

"I'll do it." Valentina said surprising the brunette.

"You know how to do it?" Juliana asked making a mocking face.

"Do I have to remind you that I was captain of the Cheerleading team?" She took the bandage while kneeling in front of the athlete, lifted her foot and began to wrap the strap around her ankle. Juliana was looking at her intensely, Kara as well, but for very different reasons.

"This is becoming a habit," said the brunette.

Valentina raised her head, "What?" She didn't understand what the athlete meant.

"You, being my nurse!" Juliana explained. The blonde just laughed and continued with her task.

"Are you nervous mom?" Kara asked as her other mother finished the last round of the bandage.

"A little... but not because of the game... but because you are both here. It's been a long time since I had anyone watching from the stands." The brunette confessed.

"I'm sure that most people who come to these games are hoping to meet the new star of the team," reasoned the photographer.

"I don't mean those kinds of people, but special people, like family," she looked at the surprised blonde.

**_Knock, knock, knock_ **

**_"_** Juliana?" Jack had returned. "The coach wants you on the court."

"Jack, could you walk Kara to her seat?" The team's security guard nodded. "Kangaroo, can you give me a lucky hug?" She crouched down to her daughter's level and the girl practically jumped around her neck.

"Good luck mommy!" She gave her a kiss on the cheek and grabbed the man's hand to go to the courtside seats.

As soon as the girl left the room Juliana looked for Valentina and found her leaning against the table looking at the floor.

"Valentina?" She approached her slowly but remained a few steps away, "Can you look at me please?" She asked softly.

The blonde did not take long to agree to the request. "Do you really think of us as family?" She asked.

Juliana smiled and got even closer, "I don't think so... I know you are, I'm sure of it," she caressed the blonde's face, who enjoyed the contact. " I miss you," said the brunette as she moved forward for a kiss.

"Juliana... I'm sorry but you have to go." Jack interrupted again, "Arizona is stressing out. Do you want me to accompany her to her seat?" He asked pointing to Valentina.

Juliana nodded her head without taking her eyes off the blonde, as she moved towards the door. "I'll wait for you after the game... for the dinner you promised me." Valentina reminded her, but returned to leave a kiss on her cheek, "Good luck!" She smiled and left.

"Do you need a kiss from me too?" Asked Jack sympathetically.

"No thanks, I'm not sure I would get over it!" Answered the brunette as she grabbed her things and followed the man to the court. "Focus on the game Juliana," she said to herself.

** In the stands **

Valentina, Kara and the rest of their friends were sitting in the second row, chatting excitedly about their privileged view of the court and waiting for the game to begin. However, Valentina could not relax as the group of women in the row behind were really beginning to annoy her.

"My God, look at those legs!" Said one of them. Valentina looked at Lauren who tried to calm her by putting a hand on her leg. "You know what I would do with them, right?" The woman commented again.

"Hey you!" Lauren had heard enough. "Yes, you!" The Latina clarified when the woman looked at her in bewilderment. "Can you shut your mouth, or I will have to do it for you!" Threatened the Latina.

"Calm down Grandma! If my voice bothers your delicate ears, I'll stop!" The others celebrated the joke.

"Who are you calling Grandma?!" Lauren stood up from her seat.

"Calm Lern." Valentina calmed her. "Ignore her. Look, it's about to begin," the blonde pointed to the players in the centre of the court. Juliana looked over at Valentina and smiled.

"Oh my God! She smiled at me!" Said one of the women in the group. "Did you see her? I told you she was going to be mine! They say that blondes are her weakness." Valentina was struggling to contain herself, the Incredibly jealous Hulk was getting bigger and bigger within her.

Only five minutes remained until the end of the game. Juliana was in her element, showing off to the crowd. "Wow, the sweetie has bagged forty points tonight," the Latina commented. "Forty-three!" Lauren corrected when she watched Juliana score another three points. "Derek it seems that trout mouth is going to lose another hundred dollars tonight!" She commented while high fiving him, they both laughed at Sam who did not look to be enjoying himself.

As the game was basically over, Arizona decided to rest her star player. Juliana earned a standing ovation from the entire stadium as she left the court.

"YAY MAMI!" Kara yelled as she clapped her hands.

"JULIANA MAKE ME YOURS!" The screams returned.

"MARRY ME!" Another one shouted.

Valentina's patience was already on the brink. Juliana smiled at the shouts she received as her companions congratulated her.

"Look at those arms!" Commented the most annoying of the group. "Can you imagine having those hands touching you? I'm telling you, tonight she will be mine. They say since she arrived in New York she has had at least three women per weekend..."

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH ONCE AND FOR ALL!" The blonde could not hold out any longer. "DO YOU NOT SEE THERE ARE CHILDREN IN FRONT OF YOU?!" She pointed to her daughter who was surprised by her mother's reaction.

"What do I care? If you don't want your granddaughter to listen, you can leave."

"What is your problem idiot?" Mariana defended her friend.

"Be careful..." warned one of the women to the other, "surely she knows Karate!" They all laughed mockingly.

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH!" This time it was Lauren, who was being held by her fiancée.

"Oh, we're shaking with fear!" One of the women continued to provoke them.

"Well, I would start to worry, because you're talking with Juliana Valdés' GIRLFRIEND!" Derek pointed to Valentina, leaving his friends speechless.

"GIRLFRIEND? Hahaha!" The whole group laughed, "Oh Ken, you are funny, Juliana Valdés has several girlfriends, and I'll be one of them tonight!" She winked. "But don't worry blondie, I'm not jealous, after I take care of her, I'll send her back to you!" She finished with a smirk. Valentina was ready to explode, she was about to answer when the final whistle announced the end of the game, and the group of women dispersed trying to reach the players.

"Calm down V, don't pay any attention to them." Camila knew her friend, she knew she was struggling to stay calm.

"Camila is right." Shane appeared next to her, "They are bitches, don't listen to them."

But it was difficult for Valentina to listen to them, she was staring at Juliana, who at this moment was giving an interview with a huge smile.

"I want to go!" The photographer said while looking at her friends.

"Are you not supposed to wait for Juliana?" Asked the singer.

"Valentina, look at me..." Camila asked, "do not allow those girls to get to you. Juliana wants to be with you!" She tried to make her friend understand.

"You do not understand, it is always the same with her, if it is not these girls, it's my models. I can't do it, I can't be just one more! Look..." she pointed to the brunette who was smiling while chatting to one of the annoying women. "I'm here waiting for her and she doesn't even register me. I want to go! KARA LET'S GO!" She called her daughter who was being chased by Nikki.

"Hey, what's going on, are you leaving?" Juliana came to her side, "Wait for me to shower and I'll go with you," asked the brunette.

"I'm not going with you," she spoke angrily. "KARA LET'S GO!" She called her daughter again.

"Valentina!" Juliana grabbed her arm, she no longer understood what was going on. "You and I have a pending dinner. You promised me." The brunette did not take her eyes off her.

"I don't care. Now you have the night off to go party with your other girlfriends, I don't want to be a hindrance to you!" The photographer tried to get rid of the brunette.

"My other girlfriends? What are you talking about? Please Valentina, talk to me, tell me what happened?" At this point Juliana was already pleading.

"Can you not understand that I don't want to be with you, that we cannot be together?" The coldness of the blonde could become a deadly weapon.

"You don't want... you don't want to be with me?" The brunette asked doubtfully and released Valentina's arm.

Valentina was silent, she looked for Juliana's gaze and saw the tears forming in her brown eyes. "I'm sorry Juliana. I have to go," she went in search of Kara, grabbed her hand and left the stadium accompanied by her friends.

** Valentina's apartment - after the stadium **

"Kara go put your pyjamas on and get in to bed," her mother ordered as soon as they entered the apartment.

The girl didn't even take the time to protest, she went to her room to do what she was asked. On the trip home her mother had made it clear that they would not have dinner with Juliana, no matter how much she pleaded.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING V? DID YOU SEE JULIANA'S FACE WHEN YOU LEFT HER! IT EVEN BROKE MY HEART!" Her friends were trying to reason with her.

"Don't yell Lauren and I don't want to listen to you!" She had cut her losses.

"Well then you will listen to me!" It was Mariana's turn, "What are you doing Valentina? Do you not want to be with her?" She asked.

"I said I don't want to talk about Juliana! Can you respect that? You are supposed to be my friends, but you are all defending her!" The photographer was not going to see reason.

"SHE DID NOTHING WRONG!! FOR FUCK SAKE VALENTINA! YOU ARE A DUMB, BLONDE, IDIOT!" The Latina tried to make her friend react with insults.

"Either you stop screaming or you know where the door is..." the blonde warned, "and that goes for everyone, I don't want to talk about Juliana anymore. No Mila, not even with you!" She warned the dancer, before she could come out with some strange metaphor about turtles or the ocean. "I DO NOT WANT THE NAME JULIANA TO BE MENTIONED EVER AGAIN!..."

**_"We are live on ABC with the star of New York Liberty, Juliana Valdés..."_ **

Everyone in Valentina's living room turned to look at the television screen to watch the interview the player had given after the game.

**_"Wow Juliana, what a way to debut on this court, forty-five points. It's amazing. You were telling me this was a special match for you, do you want to tell people why?"_ **

Asked the journalist

**_"Eh..."_ **

The brunette's face turned red.

**_"Well it's special because my daughter and the woman who owns my heart were watching from the stands for the first time tonight, and I was a little nervous."_ **

Juliana had just given them the scoop.

**_"So are the rumours true, Juliana Valdés is off the market?"_ **

Asked the surprised reporter,

**_"You do_ ** **_know that all the magazines and media in the country are going to be interested in this news?"_ **

The woman seemed excited to be the one in charge of spreading the news.

**_"Well, all that matters to me right now is her, our daughter and winning more games with my team. That is what gossip and rumours are, just gossip and rumours!"_ **

She said smiling at the camera.

**_"Thank you for your time Juliana, I see there are several people waiting for an autograph!"_ **

The journalist said goodbye.

**_"Thank you."_ **

The brunette said goodbye and left the screen. The journalist looked at the camera and said,

**_"With you live from the Juliana Valdés Stadium."_ **

There was so much silence in the room that Kara's deep breathing could be heard from her room.

"Well?..."

"I KNOW I KNOW... I AM AN IDIOT, YOU CAN SAY IT!" Valentina clutched her head.

"YOU ARE AN IDIOT!" Her friends sang in unison.

"And now what do I do? You saw how I treated her! She will not forgive me this time!" She got up from the chair and began to walk from one side of the room to the other. "Stupid jealousy, stupid women!" She sat down again and grabbed her head.

"Valen..." Camila came to save the situation, "call her, find out where she is and look for her." She gave her the cell phone. "Don't waste any more time," added the dancer.

Valentina grabbed her phone and dialled the brunette's number. Someone answered, but it was not Juliana and all of Valentina's fears came to the surface, "Juliana?" Valentina queried.

"Valentina? It's Nikki," the blonde sighed. "Juliana is still on the court, that's why I answered her phone, she left her things in the dressing room." Explained the brunette's teammate.

"On the court? But the game ended almost an hour ago," the blonde said looking at her watch.

"She wanted to be alone. She does it quite often, she can spend hours shooting at the hoop when something bothers her, on the anniversary of her parent's death she spent the entire night on the court." Nikki didn't seem to know why the brunette was upset this time.

"Well, thanks Nikki for lookin..."

"Valentina..." interrupted Nikki, "take good care of her please."

"I promise!" Valentina answered smiling and hung up. "I need to go to the stadium," she announced to her friends while looking for her keys. "Where did I leave the keys?" She was nervous.

"Good, but you can't drive like that, I'll take you." Lauren opened the apartment door and they both left.

** At the stadium **

Juliana had been on the court for quite some time, she was still in her kit, her body ached but it was the only way to stop thinking about Valentina. She didn't understand her, she didn't know what was going on in the woman's head that had destabilised her.

 _'I don't want to be with you!'_ Was the phrase that had been bouncing around in her head and it was repeated on loop, "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" She screamed as she grabbed the ball and kicked it with all the rage she possessed. The ball flew to the other side of the court. Juliana went to look for it, but someone else caught the ball.

"I don't know much about basketball but I'm pretty sure that's not how you play." Valentina tried to break the atmosphere with a little joke.

"What are you doing here?" She took the ball out of her hands, "Did you come back to make sure I was crying for you?" Juliana said ironically as she turned around and threw the ball into the hoop.

"Juliana... I... I..."

"YOU WHAT VALENTINA, WHAT? I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS, SPEAK, SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT, BUT SPEAK DAMN IT!" This time she released her frustration by throwing the ball towards the stands.

The blonde looked at Juliana, but words wouldn't come out, she had never seen her like this. The blonde lowered her head trying to focus.

"DO NOT DO THAT!" The brunette warned, "LOOK AT ME VALENTINA!" The photographer shook her head in denial. "LOOK AT ME DAMN IT!" This time she did look, "TELL ME WHAT YOU SEE, WHAT DO YOU SEE WHEN YOU LOOK AT ME? TELL ME!"

Valentina couldn't speak, she wasn't even sure if she could breathe. "Well, if you don't want to talk, then I'll answer for you," she said. "Do you know what you see when you look at me? You see a woman who has the world at her feet, a woman who surely sleeps with someone different every night. You look at me and you think I'm not capable of loving anyone, right? RIGHT VALENTINA?" Valentina shook her head again. "No? And if you don't think so, why the FUCK ARE YOU PLAYING WITH ME?" The brunette asked in a very angry tone.

"I'M AFRAID, OKAY? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED TO KNOW?" Finally the words came out. "I'M AFRAID, I'M JEALOUS, I CAN'T STAND ANYONE TOUCHING YOU, I DON'T LIKE ANYONE TALKING ABOUT YOU, I LOVE IT WHEN YOU ARE WITH ME ALL THE TIME, LOOKING AT ME, TALKING TO ME, IS THAT SO DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND?" This was no longer a conversation, Valentina and Juliana had put on their gloves and were getting ready to box.

"BUT THAT IS ALL I HAVE DONE THIS WHOLE TIME!" Juliana threw the first blow. "YOU ARE THE ONE WHO DOES NOT SEE IT. YOU HAVE ME AS YOU WANT VALENTINA!" She put herself in a defensive position.

"HOW I WANT? AND WHAT ABOUT ALL THE OTHER WOMEN? DO I HAVE TO NAME THEM?" Valentina threw a hook to the jaw of the brunette. "IRINA, MISS KIM, YOUR TEAMMATES, FANS? Look I have a whole google list to prove it!" This time the blow was going straight to the face.

"THAT IS MY PAST!" Juliana advanced towards the blonde. "AND I WOULD NEVER TOUCH MY TEAMMATES OR KARA'S TEACHER!" She dodged the blows of her opponent. "DON'T YOU REALIZE THAT THE ONLY WOMAN I WANT IS YOU, THAT I NEED YOU!" They stood challenging each other with their gaze.

"Valentina..." Juliana lowered her guard. "Valentina, this is me..." she took off her shirt, "behind everything you can see in me, I'm just this!" She took off her shorts. Juliana was in front of the love of her life in her underwear. "I am only what you see, the only thing I have at this moment is you and Kara, and I don't want to lose either of you!" She approached the blonde slowly, who could not take her eyes of the brunette's body. "I can't redo the past, but I can build my future and I want to do it with you, I want you to help me, and we can do it together. I want, I want..."

"What do you want?" Asked the blonde almost whispering.

"I want you to be my girl, I want you to be my girlfriend." She grabbed her hand and searched her eyes. "Please," she added, pouting.

"You know you're not going to get anything with those pouts, right?" Valentina smiled.

"Are you sure? I know they are quite powerful." Juliana asked, pouting again.

"Very sure, because you already got it by taking your clothes off!" She smiled and indicated to the kit lying on the ground.

"So, is that a yes?" Juliana wanted to make sure.

"No... This is a yes!" Valentina captured the brunette's face and kissed her passionately. Juliana was quick to react, she placed her hands on the blonde's waist and pulled her flush against her body. It was their first kiss as girlfriends, but it was not going to be the last.


	22. 22: The Farewell

"Okay, you're ready!" Valentina announced when she finished dressing Juliana. "Not that I'm complaining, but if you are going to end all our discussions in your underwear, I have a feeling I'll never win!" Said the blonde putting her arms around the neck of the brunette .

"Ideally, you would not have very many clothes on either!" Juliana said with a provocative smile, as she wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist. "Shall we go? Although I am enjoying having my girlfriend here in my arms, I really need to change out of my gear." She said caressing Valentina's face.

"Did I just get you back, and now I have to let you go?" Asked the photographer pouting.

"First..." Juliana gave her a short kiss on the lips, "you never lost me, but the thing is, you don't trust me... yet." The blonde was going to protest but the athlete anticipated it. "Don't say anything..." she put a finger on her lips, "I'll be very interested to see how you compensate me, once I prove to you that you are the only one I want," she left another short kiss. "And second, can I propose something?" She asked sweetly.

"Hey, I know athletes move fast, but we've only been girlfriends for a few minutes, and you already want to propose to me?!" Valentina joked. "Don't you think that's a bit fast? You are suffocating me!!" The blonde laughed. Juliana's face was priceless.

"Ha ha, very funny Miss Carvajal... you know what? Forget it!" Juliana pretended to be offended. "Shall we go?" She let go of her girlfriend and walked towards the exit.

"VALDÉS!" Valentina called her, Juliana turned to look at her. "Come here," she ordered, curling her finger seductively, but the brunette shook her head in denial. "Are you not going to come?" Asked the blonde. Juliana shook her head again. "ONE..." she raised one of her fingers, Juliana did not move, "TWO..." Valentina said raising her second finger, but like the previous one the brunette did not move, "AND THREE." She finished without achieving her goal.

"Now what are you gonna do? You don't scare me Carvajal!" Juliana said mockingly.

"I'm going to use the same strategy you did..." she gently lifted the hem of her shirt and began to slowly slide it up her body, "are you going to come join me?" She asked with the shirt now in her hand. Juliana did not speak, nor did she move, there was no response, she just watched. "No? Well, let's see..." she released the buttons on her jeans and slowly began to lower them while exaggerating her movements. Once she had completely removed them, she looked at the brunette who was frozen in place, like she had been struck with the 'Petrificus Totalus' spell. "I still cannot tempt you? Well..." she shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I'm doing something wrong... I should go out and ask someone if they can help me figure it out. See you later."

 _'Juliana, your girl crossing the court in her underwear, someone else will see her, REACT!'_ Juliana's thoughts snapped her out of the daze, she ran towards her girlfriend and grabbed her around the waist. "If you take one more step, you're in big trouble Carvajal!" The athlete jokingly threatened against the blonde ear.

"Are you threatening me?" Valentina's semi-naked body was glued to the brunette's chest.

"No, I'm warning you!" She turned her around to face her, "Listen carefully to what I'm going to tell you, NOBODY, absolutely no one, is going to see you like this. Only me..." the possessive brunette wasn't exactly helping Valentina to control the situation, "understood?" She asked.

Valentina shook her head from one side to the other. "No, sorry, you'll have to help me understand..." she said in her most innocent voice. And like a red flag to a bull, Juliana attacked her girlfriend's lips. She tried to pour all her feelings into the kiss, she wanted Valentina to realise that she alone had the right to see her this way.

"Do you understand now?" Juliana asked as soon as they separated.

"Wha... wha... what?" Valentina shook her head, the kiss had left her speechless. "What were you going to propose?" The blonde would agree to a dinner in the middle of Alaska or an expedition to the North Pole right now.

Juliana smiled at her girl's momentary stutter. "Can you put your clothes on first? It's a bit difficult to talk to you like this." Juliana turned around.

"Seriously Juls?" Valentina mocked when the brunette turned away from her, "Like you haven't seen enough already!" She laughed as she dressed.

"Valentina, I'm suffering here, believe me! If I look again, I won't be responsible for my actions," the brunette explained.

"Okay, you can turn around now," the photographer spoke.

"Well, there is not much difference..." said the athlete as soon as she turned around, "You are still beautiful!" Juliana flirted.

"If you keep telling me things like that, I'll want to kiss you again." Valentina flirted back.

"Let's go home, we can cook something and watch a movie or whatever you prefer," offered the brunette.

"Sorry, I'm not sure if I heard you, I may still be in shock from that kiss! Did you say you can cook?" Valentina did not know if she had heard correctly or not.

"Are you planning to make fun of me all night? Because if so... I would prefer that you do it without clothes!" The brunette pouted and folded her arms.

"What? Can I not be surprised that my almost perfect girlfriend can also cook?" Defended the photographer, "I accept the marriage proposal you made earlier!" She joked.

"Are you going to answer me or are you going to continue making fun of me?" Juliana needed to take off her sweaty clothes.

"Okay, grumpy, I accept your proposal, as long as I can choose the movie." Valentina said and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Of course, your majesty." Juliana bowed, then grabbed her girlfriend's hand and they left the stadium.  
  


** Juliana's Apartment **

"Juliana is taking a shower Lern." Valentina had decided to call her friends to ask them to stay with Kara until she arrived.

"So, you made her dirty eh... she brought you there to get naughty... I would be in that shower with her!" For the Latina showering and sex were synonymous.

"Nothing happened Lauren, so can you stop with your bad jokes, please?" The blonde did not need her friend to put ideas in her head. "Can I talk to Mila?" Valentina asked.

"Camz is taking a shower too, so my situation is very similar..."

"LAUREN DON'T YOU DARE GET INTO MY SHOWER... LAUREN... LAU..." The Latina had already hung up. "Aghhhh, when I get my hands on her..." she said to her cell phone.

"I hope you're not talking about me." Juliana appeared in the room wearing only a sports bra and shorts, the kind she used when running or boxing, she opened the refrigerator, "Would you like a chicken and vegetable chop suey? Or would you rather..." Juliana couldn't finish speaking, because Valentina had trapped her between her body and the refrigerator.

"Put some clothes on..." begged Valentina, "please... while I wash the vegetables." She took the vegetables from the athlete and went to the sink to wash them, giving the brunette time to put on a t-shirt.

"Well now miss..." she lifted Valentina and set her on the counter, "you are going to sit there while I prepare this."

"Will you not let me help?" She asked pouting.

"Nope!" She bit and kissed her protruding lip. "While I cook, you have to promise me something..." Juliana asked, "well, we're actually going to promise each other something." Juliana spoke as she cut the vegetables.

"Tell me," the blonde prompted as she arranged a lock of the brunette's hair behind her ear.

Juliana stopped what she was doing and looked for Valentina's eyes, "I want you to promise me, that we will not spend a single night angry with each other. We will not let time pass without talking to each other, we will not resent each other. Whatever time it is, whatever you have to tell me, you are going to look for me and we are going to talk about it. Even if we break things or you throw things at me, whatever happens..." the athlete explained. "Please, promise me," she asked grabbing both hands.

"I promise baby..." Valentina noticed how Juliana smiled at the nickname, "but you have to promise the same." Added the blonde.

Juliana kissed her girl, sealing both promises, "I couldn't spend an hour angry with you." She kissed her again before continuing with the dinner prep.

Valentina was not only surprised by how tasty the food was, but by Juliana's attentiveness. When dinner was served, she placed her chair very close to the blonde, always trying to touch her in some way. Valentina was very aware of the brunette's proximity and caresses, she considered asking her about it, but decided not to.

~~~~~~

"Okay, now you can open your eyes." Valentina had convinced Juliana to cover her eyes while she chose the film.

"What did you choose? I hope it's not Nemo, because I only watch that movie with my favourite Carvajal!" Asked the brunette as she settled onto one side of the sofa.

"Just for that, you'll have to wait." Valentina sat on the other side of the sofa.

"What are you doing?" Juliana asked, she did not like the blonde sitting so far away from her. "Come here..." she tapped the seat next to her, "I promise I'll behave."

Valentina slowly moved a little closer, Juliana did not want to make her uncomfortable, she concentrated on the movie. "When a Stranger Calls'... you know it's a horror movie, right?" Juliana asked.

"Are you scared?" Asked the blonde raising her eyebrow, "If you're scared, I can put on 'The Lion King' or 'Beauty and the Beast', apparently you have a lot of those movies too." Valentina highlighted.

"It's all a ruse, only the cover is for kids', on the inside they are only for adults!" Juliana tried to hold a straight face but the look on Valentina's face was too much. "I'm kidding... I'm kidding!" She corrected quickly, but Valentina was unconvinced. "You want to check, don't you?" The blonde agreed. "Go ahead!"

Valentina got up to look for 'The Lion King' DVD, she put on and...

♬ _'Hakuna Matata!_  
 _What a wonderful phrase,_  
 _Hakuna Matata!_  
 _Ain't no passing craze'_ ♬

Timon and Pumbaa could be heard in the living room. Juliana thought the blonde had eased her curiosity, but she was wrong. Valentina returned to the shelf and lifted 'Beauty and the Beast'. When the menu loaded, the theme tune filled the silence. As Belle and the Beast danced across the screen Juliana noticed how the blonde's shoulders relaxed and small sigh escaped her.

"Well? Are you happy now?" She asked Valentina when she returned to the sofa. The blonde nodded but she was still not convinced. The horror movie began to play again.

Ten seconds later the film was paused. "Where do you keep them?" She asked without hesitation.

"Where do I keep what?" Juliana was lost.

"Your adult movies," she asked casually, like she were asking where the bath towels were kept.

"What makes you think I have those kinds of movies?" The brunette defended herself.

"Huh, forget it!" She grabbed the remote, looked at the TV and pressed play.

This time it did not take five seconds for Valentina to pause it again. "Do you have them?" Valentina should be known as a 'serial cat killer'.

"What?" Juliana was playing dumb, "Adult movies? Why do you want to know?" Asked the brunette.

"I think as your girlfriend, I have the right to know," she replied.

"Okay, I've never had a girlfriend before, but I'm almost sure that those kinds of secrets are carried to the grave!" Juliana was willing to put this off as long as she could.

"Fine!" She returned to the far end of the sofa and restarted the movie.

Juliana counted in her head _'one, two and... three'_ Valentina paused the film again.

"I want you to tell me right now!" Demanded the photographer, "I don't have a reason or anything, I just want you to tell me!" She looked the athlete in the eye.

"Do you have them?" Juliana took out her red cape and dodged the bull's horns again. _OLE!_

But the beast quickly turned and lunged at the bullfighter, "I asked first!"

"Why is it so important to you?" _OLE!_

"I already told you. I'm your girlfriend and I want to know. Think about your answer Juliana..." she said quickly before another question came out of her girlfriend's mouth, "because where I spend the next few hours depends on it!" She had her cornered.

"Okay... do you promise that no matter the answer, everything will remain the same?" Valentina agreed. "Double promise?" She received a silent yes again. "A kangaroo promise is greater than..."

"JULIANA!" The blonde was getting desperate.

"They are in my room under lock and key," she had held out as long as she could.

"Huh!" Valentina looked forward.

"Satisfied now?" She received no response. "Can you come over here please?" Begged the brunette.

"I'm fine here!" Juliana was not getting out of this so easily. The movie started again and they both fixed their eyes on the screen.

"How many?" This time she didn't pause the movie, "Like five, six... how many?" The interrogation was not going to stop.

"Hmm... a few more," she replied but kept her eyes on the movie.

"Uh huh," murmured Valentina.

Juliana cursed herself for mentioning the adult movies. ' _You couldn't keep quiet Juliana, you had to open your mouth!'_ Thought the brunette, _'Look at her she's angry, you're never going to kiss those lips again and forget about being able to see her in her underwear again. Damn_ _it_ _, damn_ _those_ _movies,_ _and_ _damn_ _my bloody_ _jokes!'_

"I want to see them," the blonde announced interrupting the athlete's thoughts.

"What?" Juliana didn't know if she had heard her correctly. "Valentina... I don't know if we're ready for that, I mean I'd love to but..."

"NO! GOD NO!... I want to see where you keep them, I want to see them physically!" Clarified the photographer as she looked at her girlfriend challenging her.

"Honey..." the athlete was nervous.

"Don't call me honey!" She warned her.

"Valentina, I don't think it is a good idea..."

The blonde couldn't wait any longer, she got up and went straight to Juliana's room. The athlete jumped up to follow her.

When they entered the room, Valentina began to open the brunette's drawers one by one.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" Juliana warned.

"Unless you're a serial killer and are hiding weapons, I don't think there is anything here that can scare me... OH MY GOD JULIANA! This drawer looks like something from a sex shop!" She quickly closed the drawer.

"I told you not to open it!" She defended herself.

"Okay," said the blonde as she sat on the edge of the bed and crossed her arms. "I'm waiting for you to show me the movies," she impatiently tapped her foot against the floor.

"God, you are something else blondie, you know that?" Valentina tapped her foot faster as she watched the brunette reach under her bed and pulled out a small locked cash box.

The photographer sighed, she was relieved to see the size of the box, there was no way it could store many movies. The basketball player opened it and removed a key. Valentina watched confused as the brunette took the key and moved towards her closet door.

"Please tell me you do not have a closet full of adult films!" Valentina pleaded.

"The whole closet? Of course not, just this door!" She clarified as she opened the door and exposed her video collection.

"A FEW MORE? YOU SAID, A FEW MORE? JULIANA THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF MOVIES!" Valentina stood in front of the closet and grabbed a few DVDs.

"There's not that many... probably around eighty-odd..." Valentina's look was murderous, Juliana swallowed nervously. "Am I in trouble?" She dared to ask.

"Why does the name Jessica Larson appear so many times? 'Jessica Larsson on the beach', 'Jessica Larsson in the Jacuzzi', 'Jessica Larsson XXX'. AND THIS ONE IS SIGNED BY THE SAME WOMAN!" The photographer was passing the films to Juliana who took them one by one, handling them with great care.

"Well they..." the cries of the nanny could be heard from the TV in the living room and Juliana wondered who was suffering more. "erm... there was a time when I was a little obsessed with her... and when I met her in London, I asked her to sign them... as a souvenir!" The brunette remembered the encounter fondly. "Hey... what are you doing?" The athlete asked as Valentina grabbed a box and began filling it with her DVDs.

"I'm going to throw them away!" The blonde informed her, as she continued to fill the box.

"What?... No! Valentina wait!" She removed the DVDs that were about to become landfill. "You can't do that, they accompanied me all my youth. My father gave me the first one," she told her.

"Well, we'll keep that one, the others go into the box!" She kept throwing them.

Juliana knew she had lost, the bullfighter had died at the hands of the beast. "Can I at least have a minute alone with them?" Begged the brunette pouting.

Valentina rolled her eyes and looked at the watch on her wrist, "I'll give you a minute starting from... NOW!" She timed her.

Juliana crouched in front of the box, "Goodbye my good time companions. We shared some beautiful moments, you have helped me a lot, I am sure I need to thank several of you!" The latter was told in secret. "Jessica's too?" She asked the blonde, who raised the infamous eyebrow.

"They are the first to go!" She answered quickly, "You have thirty seconds left!" She hurried her.

"Goodbye Jessica, I will never forget the days we spent together when I had chickenpox, you were the only one who prevented me from using my hands to scratch by occupying them with other things..."

"TIME'S UP!" Sang Valentina as she took the DVD from the brunette's hand and put it in the box to take it away.

"SO LONG MY FRIENDS!" Juliana said goodbye, waving her hand as her girlfriend walked away.

Valentina slowed her steps and went back to the toy drawer, "Put them in the box!" She ordered Juliana.

"What?... no! I am a woman with needs Valentina, I need them!" This time she was not going to be weak.

"Juliana, do as I say and put them in the box," her girlfriend insisted. "You won't need them..." she winked at her, "and if we decide to use them, we'll buy new ones."

"Do we need another box?" The brunette wasted no time and began to empty the contents of the drawer.  
  



	23. 23. The Beast

** The next morning in Valentina's Apartment **

"GOOD MORNING!" Valentina greeted Lauren and Camila who had just woken up, they had spent the night in her apartment taking care of Kara.

"What are you doing here?" Lauren asked, "Don't tell me you spent the night having sex with the sweetie while we and your daughter slept in the other rooms?" Assumed the lawyer.

"Good morning to you too Lern, and no, Juliana did not stay here." She answered as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Good morning Valen," Camila greeted, "don't listen to Lolo, she's being an idiot because I wouldn't let her get into the shower with me." Camila knew the rules in Valentina's house: _#1._ _Never let Kara use the kitchen alone,_ and _#2._ _No sex in her shower!_

"Thank God you are here to stop your sexaholic demon of a fiancée Camz!" She gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Plus, if you and Juls had been here having a sweet love session, you would have invited us, right?" She looked at her friend to make sure.

"Haha!" Laughed the Latina. "And now who is the sexaholic demon?" She mocked the blonde.

Valentina ignored the subject. After dinner at Juliana's house and packing up all her now non-existent sex toys, Valentina was definitely not in the mood to explain this to Camila again. Under no circumstances would she share Juliana in that way with her best friends.

"By the way there is a box in my room that I need you to take with you," Valentina informed them, "take it as a gift from Juliana."

Lauren when hearing 'gift' did not think twice, she practically ran to the room and was back in the kitchen again in record time.

"God Lauren, aren't you desperate?" Asked Valentina. "Before you open it..." because she knew she was going to, "I don't want any jokes about it!" She warned her friends.

"Ay Valen, Valen, jokes? You know that's not my style..." the lawyer lied while opening the box. "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD... what is this?" She asked by simple reflex because she already knew what it was.

"Lolo! They are the same kind of movies you like to watch when you think I'm not there," confessed Camila.

"You let her have them?" A surprised Valentina asked the dancer while Lauren rummaged through the box without paying attention to the conversation of the other two.

"Valentina believe me, there are times when I have to escape from her because I can't take it anymore and those films become my best friends, do you understand?" Camila explained.

"There's an entire collection of Jessica Larsson!" Lauren was very excited, she couldn't believe her luck. "Well, I guess we already know who the sexaholic demon is now eh?" She concluded, looking at Valentina with an evil smile. "And why did she decide to give them all away?" She asked curiously.

"Well... I may have forced her, or something like that," said the blonde trying to downplay it.

The other two looked at her questioningly.

"Don't look at me like that... she's my girlfriend and I..."

"YOUR GIRLFRIEND?" They asked together.

Valentina could not hide her smile, she loved to say it, "Yes," she just said.

"Yes? Is that the only thing you're going to say?" Her friend pressed her. "We have been here with you moping about for months and now all you say is 'yes', seriously?" Evidently that was not enough for her.

"Well, last night I went to look for her as you know, we had a very interesting talk in the stadium..." she laughed as she remembered, "and well, that... just happened. We are girlfriends!" She was smiling again, that title really fascinated her.

"Congratulations Valen!" Camila hugged her.

"No, no congratulations..." Lauren separated the hug, "you can't arrive here smiling like that and tell us nothing more than you are girlfriends. We want juicy news, as juicy as these videos!" She pointed at Valentina with one of the DVDs.

"What videos?" The little Carvajal had woken up and was not in a very good mood. "What's in the box?" Kara approached the box on the breakfast table slowly.

"No honey, nothing important," her mother was fast, she took the DVD out of Lauren's hand, put it in the box and closed it. "These are old things from college that your aunt Lern is going to take away right now... are you okay?" Valentina asked her daughter when she noticed her sad face.

"I'm angry!" Was the only thing she said as she sat on one of the chairs.

"Angry?" The blonde looked at her daughter and then at her friends. "Did I miss something?" She asked.

"Umm..." Lauren scratched her head and grabbed her friend's arm to lead her into the living room, "last night when you went to chase your better half, who has an ass that makes you want to..."

"LAUREN!" She stopped her friend's rant. "Can you stop making those comments about my girlfriend and tell me what happened to my daughter?" The photographer demanded.

"Nothing happened to her..." she answered, "she woke up asking for you and we told her that you weren't here. She wanted to call Juliana, but we told her that she was with you, so she went back to her room angry." As soon as the story ended, the doorbell rang.

"It must be Juliana," Valentina announced half smiling and half worried about her daughter. It never crossed her mind that Kara could cause problems in their relationship, her little girl loves Juliana. "While I open the door I want you to do me the favour of taking those videos out of my house..." she looked murderously at her friend, "I don't want Juliana to be tempted again."

"Hey, don't look at me like that, the perverted one is your girlfriend, not me!" Clarified the Latina as she returned in search of her new treasure.

Valentina opened the door but instead of a gorgeous brunette, she found a huge bouquet of flowers. "If you are not Valentina, can you call her please?" Asked a voice behind the flowers. "And can you tell her that last night I couldn't stop thinking about her for even two thousandths of a second? And if you feel like it, tell her that she owes me a kiss for every one of those thousandths of a second."

"Anything else?" Valentina asked amused.

"HMMM... Yes. Can you also tell her that it is no longer necessary for her to return any of the DVDs, the memory of her in black lingerie kept me entertained all night!" Juliana received a gentle blow to one of her arms that were holding the flowers before Valentina took the bouquet. "Oh, was it you?" She joked. "Good morning beautiful," she greeted as she approached her girlfriend.

"Hello." Valentina replied timidly, "I think I should start now if I want to return all the kisses I owe you, right?" The brunette nodded before receiving a tender and passionate good morning kiss.

"OKAY, GOOD, you need to stop now, Valentina is not a pacifier!" Lauren appeared carrying a box in her hands.

"Is that... is that my box?" She asked Valentina.

"Do not start whining again please," asked the blonde.

Lauren stopped, set the box on a small table. She turned to the brunette looking at her sadly before pouncing on her to give her a strong hug. "I'm so sorry, I know what it's like to lose something so important!" She said rubbing her back.

"Thank you, it was hard but I'll get over it," the brunette accepted the condolences. "Did Camz do the same to you?" She asked

"No. Luckily I was able to hide them in time!" Lauren said as she separated from the brunette and went back to grab her new belongings. "But the magazines were not saved..." Juliana's eyes widened, which Valentina did not miss. "I still remember it like it was yesterday," the Latina began her story looking at the horizon. "Heide Montag from my Playboy was looking at me and saying 'Lauren don't leave me', 'Don't do this to me Lauren!'" The Latina covered her face while Juliana consoled her rubbing her hand down her back, "I tried, I swear. I begged Camila for her..."

"I'm sure you did everything you could." Juliana consoled her.

"NOOO! I should have done more!" Valentina watched the two women, not understanding what the fuss was about.

"It was not in your hands, you had to let her go... it was her or Camila, you chose well Lolo," the brunette concluded showing her support.

"If only I could see her one more time," the Latina thought aloud.

"Hey, whenever you want, you can stop by and take my copy... It's the one with the bunny logo drawn on the ground, right?... It's one of my favourites..." Juliana was about to realise her mistake.

"Juliana... Are there magazines too?" Asked the blonde raising an eyebrow.

"I'm going to leave this to the car..." the Latina went out the door with a pained face directing a silent, "I'm sorry!" to the athlete.

"Eehh... just a few," it made no sense to lie to her, she always found out the truth in some way or another.

"You know what you have to do right?" The blonde asked, making the answer obvious.

"I'll pack them tomorrow," she lowered her head sadly and began to walk towards the kitchen.

 _'_ _Huh, if someone had told me that having her as girlfriend would be this easy, I wouldn't have thought about it so much!'_ Valentina told herself while following the brunette who was now muttering, "My big damn mouth!" to herself.

"How is my favourite Carvajal?" Juliana greeted her daughter, accentuating the favourite part while looking at Valentina, who just rolled her eyes as she put the flowers in water.

But Kara didn't answer.

"Kangaroo?" No reaction.

"Kara..." nothing again.

"Honey, what's wrong?" She looked at the other adults in the room for answers. The girl was still sitting with her arms crossed looking at anything but her mother.

"Apparently someone is angry because neither of their mothers were here to comfort her last night." Valentina commented, it broke her heart to see her daughter so upset, but now her girlfriend also looked close to tears because Kara wouldn't speak to her.

"You said that it didn't matter what time I called you, that you were always going to answer!" Said the annoyed little girl as she looked at her mother.

Juliana grabbed a stool and sat in front of her daughter, "I know, I know I told you that and it's true. You can call me anytime and I will answer," she said again.

"That's a lie. Last night you did not answer!" The girl had a point.

"Kara..." Valentina tried to defend the brunette but Juliana shook her head asking the blonde to let her handle it.

"I know kangaroo and I'm sorry..." she took her daughter's hand, "but last night I was doing something very, very important, although not more important than you." She quickly fixed what she was saying.

"What thing?" Asked the girl, a little less angry.

"Well, last night..." she stretched out her hand for Valentina to come closer, Kara watched as they linked their fingers together, "last night I asked your mommy to be my girlfriend." Juliana finally said.

The little girl looked at their clasped hands and then at her blonde mother, "Really?" She asked, wanting to make sure. Her mother confirmed and without any delay, Kara jumped up and threw herself into the arms of the two women. "Aunt Lolo!" She called the Latina.

"Tell me dwarf," she answered excitedly.

"We have to call another session of the VPB!" Announced the president of the committee.

"I just sent the messages," the vice president informed her.

"HEY NO!" The basketball player reacted, "I already passed my interrogation, that's not fair!" She defended herself.

"We decide what is fair and what is not, right Kara?" The lawyer quite enjoyed this little game.

"Right, so Miss Valdés, at any moment you will receive the summons," the little girl announced seriously.

"Valentina say something!" Pleaded the brunette.

"I'm sorry Juliana, the President has spoken," Valentina backed away with her hands up.

Juliana was almost certain that she would not come out alive.

"Juls don't be sad..." Camila was the only one who defended her, "although, you did subtract quite a few points with those videos!" Well, maybe she wasn't quite defending her.

"What videos?" Kara asked innocently.

Juliana put on a serious expression and bent over clutching her stomach.

"Mommy mommy. Are you okay?" It was no longer the president who spoke.

"Eeeee, I don't know... I feel something strange in my stomach..." she pointed to her stomach.

"Does your belly hurt?" The girl asked again, inspecting her mother.

"No. It's more like something wants to come out from the inside." Lauren and Valentina rolled their eyes, they knew what was coming. Camila was excited and Kara was moving away from her mother little by little.

"You must have ate something you didn't like?" Said Kara, who kept taking small steps backwards.

"No. It's not because of the food... it's as if something is growing inside me... AAAHHH!!" The brunette screamed and clutched her stomach again. "I think... it wants to get out..." she announced as she watched Kara grab the hand of her aunt Camila, "Help me!" She begged her daughter before falling to the floor.

The little girl looked at her blonde mother with big eyes as if to say, 'now that I do?'

"See if she's ok." Valentina encouraged her.

Kara approached very slowly and barely touched Juliana when her whole body began to shake, the girl quickly ran to her aunt Lolo for safety. When Juliana stopped moving the girl inched forward again, this time more slowly. She approached the body and this time touched her with her foot but nothing happened. She looked at her aunts and then her mother, the three of them shrugged their shoulders, so Kara gently kicked her again. Nothing. She moved closer and bent down to touch her mother's face but it wasn't the most sensible move on the girl's part.

"Arggggggggghhhh!" 'The beast' had woken up.

"Noooooo!" Kara managed to escape the claws of the beast and ran to hide behind her Aunt Camila, "Dance Aunt Camz, dance!" She ordered. Camila's dances were one of the weapons against the Beast of Juliana.

Skilfully the dancer began to do different dance steps, first she tried The Moonwalk but the beast did not stop and kept chasing them,

"Try spreading your legs darling!" Lauren encouraged.

The dancer obeyed but apparently this time the dance steps were not going to be enough to stop the beast. They only worked when the beast was truly impressed by the dancer's abilities. When the beast reached Camila, she lifted her on to her shoulder and took her to Kara's room to lock her up. Game over for the dancer.

Valentina gave the dancer a reproachful look as she was carried out of the room. "What do you want for breakfast honey?" She asked her daughter while trying to calm herself, but her little girl was too distracted staring at her other mother. Valentina went into the kitchen to make Kara something to eat.

The youngest had to take refuge with her other aunt, "Now it's up to you Aunt Lolo. You have to use your best weapons, the beast is stronger than ever!" Informed the little girl.

"Leave it to me..." being a bitch was Lauren's weapon. "Hey you!" It was very funny to watch Juliana approach them while imitating the walk of a zombie, "YES YOU, you useless beast! Beast is the wrong word, you wouldn't even scare the fat fur-ball of a cat I have in my house!" If Lauren made Juliana laugh the beast would fall.

"It's not working!" Kara said when she saw Juliana approaching firmly.

"Either you stop right now or you're going to meet the real Lima High monster!" Threatened the Latina. "And that monster is going to kick your butt in such a way that you're going to need an inflatable ring to sit down..." end of the game for Lauren, Juliana carried her out on her shoulder to the bedroom.

"Oh no darling, she's coming for you next..." Valentina warned her daughter, "you better use your best laugh!" The blonde continued making toast for her little girl while listening to the grunts that the brunette made on her way back for Kara.

The girl was hiding behind her mother's legs.

"GRAAA?" The Beast asked Valentina about Kara, pretending to not see her.

"I'm sorry, Beast Lady but I haven't seen any little girls around here..." Valentina played along. Juliana turned around and began to walk to the other side. "Now..." the blonde said to her daughter, "laugh!" That was Kara's power, her laugh, if it was sincere, ended the mutation.

"Ha ha ha ha." The little kangaroo tried but unfortunately it wasn't very convincing and Juliana discovered her.

"I'm in trouble, right?" She asked her mother from below.

"I'm sorry, darling, but I didn't even believe that laugh." Valentina replied, stroking her little girl's head as Juliana arrived and carried a surrendered Kara on her shoulder.

"Good luck mommy!" Shouted the girl while the brunette carried her into her room to leave her with her aunts.

It was already known that Valentina was the last option of the team. Most of the time the others managed to stop the Beast before the blonde had to act, but this time she was going to have to pull out the big guns. The problem was, Valentina didn't know what her power was. She was going to have to find out, but she had already thought of an idea of how she might do it.

"AGRRRRRHHHH," Juliana went to Valentina who was waiting for her very calmly leaning against the counter, "ARGGGGGHHH." Juliana's imitation was really good but Valentina did not flinch, the beast was going to win the game.

The athlete was two steps away from the blonde, she was about to grab her and carry her on her shoulder but Valentina was faster.

"Let's see what you're really made of, Beast!" She grabbed her by the shirt and brought their lips together.

"ARGGhmmmm..." game over for the Beast. She couldn't handle Valentina's kisses, who had apparently found an easy way to stop her.

Juliana grabbed the blonde and lifted her onto the counter while continuing to kiss her. Valentina surrounded the body of the brunette with her legs, pulling their bodies closer together.

"It seems... aaahh!" Juliana bit her neck, "it seems that the Beast is not such a Beast after all," she managed to say. Faced with this provocation, the brunette began to lower her hands to Valentina's butt and when she arrived at the destination, she took advantage and squeezed hard. "Juls... not that..." she didn't let her continue talking, she closed her mouth with a kiss.

The athlete took advantage of her strength, lifted Valentina and carried her to the sofa. She lay on top of her and continued to kiss her.

"Juls... baby... mmmm..." Valentina's brain was giving orders but the pleasure was managing quite well to divert them.

"I'm not Juliana," the brunette said quickly and attacked her girlfriend's lips again. Apparently Valentina was about to meet the real Beast.

"It is... God Juliana!... We need to..."

"MOMMY!" Valentina when she heard her daughter, who had apparently left the room to see how the game had ended, pushed Juliana and she practically flew off the sofa.

"THE TOAST!" Camila yelled and ran to the kitchen.

Lauren from the door frame smiled maliciously, "Well, well, well... apparently Valentina DOES know how to control 'the beast!' If I had known before that it was that easy, I would have tried that too!" The Latina scoffed.

Valentina's face was as red as a tomato as she sat up, and Juliana... where was Juliana?...

Juliana jumped up from the floor nimbly and asked, "WHO WANTS TO GO TO JESS'S FOR BREAKFAST?"  
  



	24. 24. Prisoners

** NY Liberty Training - Friday Night **

"EVERYONE TO THE CENTER OF THE COURT!" Arizona called her team. "Good, now, due to our excellent results..." the girls had won all their games so far, "and the fact that we are the league leaders in points and assists..." she indicated to Juliana to the annoyance of some of her teammates, "you all have the weekend off." She announced. "BUT..." she silenced the general murmur that had formed, "I DON'T WANT ANY SCANDAL AND ON MONDAY MORNING I WANT EVERYONE HERE BRIGHT AND EARLY... NO EXCEPTIONS!" The players all agreed, "OKAY, EVERYONE TO THE SHOWERS!" The coach dismissed them, "VALDÉS, what are you doing?" Arizona stopped Juliana who was about to continue practicing her shots.

"Erm... I was going to keep shooting at the hoop..." the star player justified herself.

"Juliana, I need you to rest... you run every day, you go to the gym and you train. Gimme that!" Arizona took the ball from her. "Go and have some fun!"

"Just five more minutes?" The brunette didn't like having the ball taken from her, she had to activate her pouts.

"GOD VALDES! YOU AND YOUR SAD FACES. Ok, just five more minutes and I'll be counting them from... NOW!" The coach could not hide the fondness she had for her.

After failing to convince Arizona to give her an additional five minutes, Juliana went to the locker room with the rest of the team.

"Juli!" Nikki called her, "We are going out tonight to celebrate our victories and you have to come with us!" Her partner said without leaving room for refusal.

"I don't know Nik..." Juliana wanted to spend time with her Carvajal ladies.

"Oh, come on Juli, it's because of you that we won those games, we have to celebrate together as a team. Just tonight just please! You more than anyone know how important these outings are for the success of a team!" Highlighted the team's substitute.

"Awh, it looks like Valdés doesn't have permission to go out tonight. What's up brunette, did she find out about your life as a womaniser and now your mistress won't let off your leash?" The captain entered the conversation. When Juliana began to dominate the front-page news, a jealous Torres started to torment her. The brunette was running out of patience.

"Okay, let me know when and where," she accepted the proposal without paying any attention to the captain's provocations. The athlete knew that to keep the team together they had to create good relationships on and off the court, an outing wouldn't hurt her, right?

** Valentina's Apartment - One hour later **

"No Lauren, I don't want to take care of your damn cat!" The Latina had been trying for a long time to get her friend to agree to take care of Tlacoyo for a week. "Plus, Camila will not want to be without him for so long!"

"Please V!" Begged Lauren, "I need to show Camz that life is much more beautiful without the mini cow that rips our clothes and makes our bed hairy! Think about it please, or I will have to make it disappear by other means, do you want to be an accessory to murder? Do you want that?"

"Who is going to disappear?" The dancer joined them.

"Eehhh..." Lauren didn't know how the hell to get out of the situation.

"The magazines that Juliana left in my room yesterday," she was saved by Valentina. "Lolo doesn't want them, so we are looking for a way to make them disappear!" Which was not a lie.

"I do want them! But Camz won't let me have them!" The Latina corrected with a scowl. "Someday karma will let you experience all the suffering you are inflicting on the sweetie and me! WE'LL GET REVENGE!" The lawyer claimed, clenching her fists.

"Did Kara fall asleep?" Valentina asked the dancer ignoring Lauren's complaints. She couldn't listen to her anymore. The day before she had watched the brunette pack up not just one, or two, but THREE boxes of magazines. And not only that, both she and Camila had to subject their girlfriends to a police search, as they were trying to smuggle several of the magazines inside their clothes.

"She was talking to Juliana," Camila told her.

"CAMILA!" They challenged her. "If you left her talking to Juliana, they are likely to be playing war, I bet there are flying infected hippos all over the room by now, or Kara will fall out of bed because they competing to see who jumps the highest!" That had already happened, but it was the brunette who had fallen off the bed, not her daughter.

"Don't worry, I already learned the new rule 'don't let Juliana put Kara to sleep!'..." the dancer recited, "but Juls said she just wanted to wish her goodnight." Camila defended herself.

"Goodnight?" Valentina asked and Camila agreed. "I thought she was coming over today..." her cell phone interrupted her 'Juliana calling'.

"Hello!" She quickly answered her girlfriends call, she really had expected to see her today.

"Good evening miss, I called because I want to make a complaint!" The brunette tried to sound serious.

"And what do you want to report?" The blonde enjoyed following her girlfriend's little games.

"A robbery," she replied. "A woman of approximately 170 cm, hypnotizing blue eyes, a blinding smile and above all, a sculptured ass... suddenly appeared in my life, and stole my heart. Just like nothing. I want her stopped right now! And brought to me so that I can demand compensation." It seems that someone likes police movies.

"I'm sorry miss..." Valentina apologised, "but this type of complaint is taken personally, so you will have to go to the nearest police station..."

And images rained down on Juliana; Valentina in police outfit, Valentina in handcuffs, Valentina taking her away for illegal possession of triple X magazines...

"Juls... Juliana... JULIANA!" The blonde pulled her out of her fantasies.

"Erm yes, sorry, what is it beautiful?" Answered the brunette.

"I thought you hung up. Want to see you. If possible," she told her girlfriend.

"Right, that's why I was calling you. I am going out with the girls from the team tonight to celebrate our wins, they wanted to take advantage as the coach has given us the weekend off. I know it's late notice, but they just decided and..."

"Juliana darling, don't worry!" Valentina Carvajal sounded relaxed, which was suspicious, very suspicious. "Go party with your teammates. You deserve it!"

"You don't mind?" This was the first time Juliana had a girlfriend, she didn't know what the protocol was for these situations.

"Of course not Juls... but out of curiosity, where are you all going?" And the cat killer was back.

"I think it's just a bar..." the brunette didn't know, "Nikki sent me the address... Calle 21 Norte. Hey... do you want..." the athlete wanted to invite Valentina to accompany her, but she thought she might need some space and didn't want to pressure her.

"What?" Valentina encouraged her.

"No nothing," she decided to keep quiet. "I better go now, I have to pick up Nik. See you tomorrow though?" Juliana asked.

"We'll see, okay?" Juliana didn't like that answer.

"Val, if it bothers you that I go out, tell me please. The last thing I want is..."

"No relax, it doesn't bother me at all... a kiss to you." She hung up the call and looked at her two friends, who were snuggled up on the sofa with a huge bowl of popcorn. "Get up, we're leaving in half an hour!" She said quickly, "Camila call Shane and ask if she and Sam can come babysit my daughter, it's urgent!" She looked at her friends, who in turn were looking at her with a confused expression. "What are you waiting for? Move!" She insisted again.

Camila lifted her cell phone following Valentina's instructions, but Lauren decided to investigate the sudden change. "Can you tell us what just happened? Do you not see that I already have my slippers on?" She raised one leg showing one of the blue Monsters Inc. claw slippers that Kara had bought her aunt in Disney World. "And what happens when Lauren has her slippers on?" She asked.

"She starts talking in the third person, wasting valuable time that should be spent checking that my girlfriend is not being harassed by other women!" Valentina answered, before heading to her room to change into a simple black dress.

"No, not that! If I have my slippers on, it means that the day is over and..."

"Lauren it is only ten o'clock!" Valentina informed her.

"Ten o'clock? That can't be..." she looked at her watch, "WAIT! What did you say before?" She asked the blonde.

"That it's ten o'clock..."

"No, before that!" She corrected.

"Erm, nothing Lern nothing. Can you go change?" She begged. "Look at your future wife," she pointed to Camila who was leaving her bedroom very excited wearing one of Valentina's dresses.

"Valentina I'm pretty sure that Juliana will not like you following her, I think this may qualify as stalking!" The Latina told her while getting up.

"Haha, don't make me laugh, busty..." Valentina fought back, "stalking is what you did when you were hiding behind a bush at Camz's dance academy! Just to make sure she didn't go out onto the street wearing her dance pants!" The blonde revealed one of Lauren's best kept secrets.

"Valentina and I had a bet on how long you would hide there, we even went out the other door, had a coffee and then came back!" The dancer confessed like it was nothing.

"Did you know that I had been there all this time and didn't say anything? Not even the day I got soaked in the rain?" The Latina felt betrayed.

"Of course, it turns out that you are a deranged woman who hides behind plants to spy on your girlfriend, but yeah you're right, we're the bad guys!" Valentina defended while trying to hold back her laughter. On the day of the rain they had watched as Lauren tried to cover herself with newspapers behind a bush. They had both found it very entertaining.

"Laugh all you want Carvajal, let's see who accompanies you on your espionage mission because these slippers and I are staying here!" She sat down on the sofa again.

"Come on Camz..." Valentina said to the dancer, "a bar FULL of girls and boys awaits us!" She purposefully highlighting the word full.

"Bye Lolo!" Camilla said goodbye with a short kiss on the mouth, "don't wait up for me!"

Valentina and Camilla left the apartment closing the door. The two women stood counting in the hall, "One... two... and..."

"I hate you both!" Lauren said as she opened the apartment door.

They waited for Sam and Shane to appear. Once they arrived, they left without explanation and Valentina dragged her two friends out to her car.

** In the bar **

"This is not a bar, it's a nightclub!" Valentina realised when they entered and saw it was full of people dancing to the rhythm of the music. "How am I supposed to find my girlfriend among all these people?"Valentina wondered as they made their way through the crowd.

"Relax!" Camila answered. "With this!" She took a pair of binoculars from her bag.

"CAMILA!" Her girlfriend challenged her. "Where the hell did you get that from?" She questioned surprised as she watched her fiancée scan the place using the object.

"These are the toys Kara and Juliana use when playing Time Crisis!" Valentina reported looking in Camila's bag. "There is a gun, Infrared and other things, but I don't think they are of much use Mila! They are just toys..."

"AU CONTRAIRE!" The dancer scoffed, "Juls at nine o'clock!" Both women were impressed, Camila knew the positions of the clock hands. "She's with Nikki and many others," she reported any new information.

"What is she doing?" Valentina raised her head, she could see the large group of players but could not locate her girlfriend.

"Now she is putting something in her mouth..." she said.

 _'_ _Please don't be a woman!_ _'_ Prayed the blonde.

"It's a bottle of Diet Coke!" She completed so that her friend could relax.

"What are you looking at, idiot?" The Latina was facing a guy who had been staring at her future wife's butt. "Honey, lend me that thing," Lauren asked, gently removing Camila's binoculars.

"See V? Nothing is happening, the sweetie is sitting calm and... oh!" Lauren said suddenly.

"What? What? MY GOD LAUREN TELL ME WHAT SHE'S DOING!" Demanded the photographer trying to take the object from her friend.

"A suspect with a hellish body is approaching her..." the Latina announced avoiding Valentina's hands, "she is sitting next to her..." she continued with the report, "she is trying to seduce her... wait a minute Valentina!" She pushed her friend's hand away from her shoulder. "She is displaying her charms... MY GOD WILL YOU WAIT AND I'LL TELL YOU..." the lawyer turned ready to face her friend, but it wasn't Valentina who was trying to get her attention, instead there was a rather large man dressed in black looking down at her.

"Ladies, you are going to have to accompany me to the exit," said one of the security men from the club.

"To the exit?" Valentina asked surprised. "Do you not know who I am? I'm Valentina, Valentina Carvajal!" She decided to give her full title just in case.

"And I'm Bond, James Bond!" Joked the security man. "And even so, you still have to accompany me to the exit," he tried to grab Lauren by the arm.

"If you touch one hair on my head, I will sue you! Do you hear me?" The lawyer officiated. "We queued to enter here, and HERE WE WILL STAY, END OF STORY!" Protested the Latina and accidentally knocked over Camila's bag. The man fearful of Lauren's reaction bent down to pick it up.

"I'm sorry but now you must leave!" The guy had the toy gun in his hands, it had fallen out of the bag.

"BUT LOOK HERE STUPID!" Lauren protested again while Camila danced to the rhythm of the music unaware of what was happening, and Valentina tried to locate her girlfriend who had disappeared. But worst of all, the girl who was trying to seduce her was nowhere to be seen either. The blonde was furious. "THAT'S A TOY!" Lauren took the gun out of his hands which made the man raise his in surrender.

"Miss, please lower the gun!" The man asked.

Hearing this, Valentina turned around already exhausted, "Can you stop playing with this guy and help me look for Juliana?" She asked her friend.

"For your information, I'm trying to stop us from getting kicked out of this place!" The Latina defended herself, putting the toy back in her bag when she saw that the man had left. "Mila, can you stop dancing like that?" Lauren looked at her girlfriend who was suggestively dancing against the railing. "Half the bar is looking at your ass! And you..." she turned to her other friend, "stop wasting your time... Oh shit!"

"You will have to accompany us, NOW!" The three girls were approached by two policemen along with the security guy from before.

** At the Police Station **

"GUARD!" Lauren shouted shaking the bars.

"Lern why don't you calm down, Sam will arrive soon."

"I WILL NOT CALM ANYTHING!" The Latina was still glued to the bars, "IT WAS A TOY! IT WAS CHILD'S TOY!" Someone was not enjoying her time in confinement.

"Keep shouting that and maybe by the fourteenth time you'll convince them!" Said one of the several detainees who were sharing the cell with the trio, the others all laughed.

"Hi, I'm Camz, she's my fiancée," the dancer greeted the detainee who had spoken.

"Alex," she shook her hand. "And what's wrong with that one?" She asked pointing to Valentina, who looked like she'd been given a life sentence.

"Valentina is upset because she thinks her girlfriend is having sweet sex with another woman!" Camila always subtle with her words.

"I should have done something..." said the photographer who was holding her head and looking at the floor. "I should have confronted her or something," she tried to convince herself.

"Well, don't tie her to a chair until she admits that she's cheating on you, because apparently that's against the law!" Warned one of the prisoners.

"You shouldn't threaten to cut off a guys member while he's tied to all four legs of the bed either. That's also prohibited!" Warned another of the detainees.

"So is setting fire to his car!" Said the last one.

"That's not allowed?" Camila asked.

"Nope! And they say this is a free country, it leaves much to be desired, doesn't it?" All agreed.

"GUARD!!!!" Lauren kept screaming but no one was paying any attention to her.

"Can you tell your girlfriend to stop yelling?" One of the women asked Camila.

"Lolo is like that. She always screams. You should hear in bed... there is a tennis player very similar to her... Marina Santapova or something like that," she told the others.

"Maria Sharapova?" Asked one of the detainees.

"Yes! That one! Lolo's screams are the same, but she doesn't play tennis. Well sometimes we pretend that she is the teacher and I am the student but no..."

"CAMILA! Can you stop telling these strangers our intimacies?... AND YOU, STOP TOUCHING YOURSELF!" Lauren pointed at one of the detainees who had been locked up for quite a few days.

"I should have told her that I didn't want her to go out. That's what I should've done," the photographer continued lamenting. "OH GOD!" Valentina stood up and began to walk around the cell.

"Now what's wrong with you?" Asked Alex.

"The promise... I broke the promise... I didn't even last two days!" The blonde walked from one wall to the other, while the other inmates followed her with their eyes. "What kind of girlfriend am I? No wonder Juliana is having sex with another woman, I... I can't even be honest with her!" She leaned her forehead against one of the walls and stayed there.

"You know what? If I were Valdés I would be doing the exact same thing right now... because you are CRAZY!" The Latina still did not forgive her friend for dragging her into this mess.

"WAIT A SECOND... ARE YOU JULIANA VALDÉS' GIRLFRIEND?" Alex asked.

"I was!" Valentina said from the wall. "Don't tell me that you also slept with her because..."

"Your girlfriend is a damn basketball star?" Interrupted a very excited Alex.

"EX girlfriend!" Lauren corrected maliciously.

"Okay... Let me see if I understand... You..." she pointed at Valentina, "you're complaining because the best basketball player in the league is cheating on you with another woman?" She looked at the blonde waiting for an answer. The blonde only nodded. "Hey, but that's normal! You should just get used to it!" Concluded the older woman.

Valentina turned and looked at her, horrified by her statement.

"Do not look at me like that! She's a star, a millionaire, they're all like that, it is logical that these things happen," she explained.

"Look but at Kobe Bryant!" Said one of their cell mates.

"Tiger Woods!" Another cell mate chipped in.

"John Terry!" This time it was Alex who came up with an example.

"Tony Parker!" Commented the Latina.

"LAUREN!" Valentina chided. "You're not helping. None of you are helping!" She pointed to all the women, "I refuse to share her. Either I am unique, or we are nothing!"

"Okay, let's see... the last three that entered, the blonde, the small dark one and the crazy woman who didn't stop screaming!" A policeman approached the cell. "Someone has come for you," he informed them as he opened the door and let them out.

"Bye," they said their farewells to the other ladies in the cell.

"See you!" They answered in unison.

"Black beauty, if you regret marrying your crazy girlfriend. Wait for me, I'm free in a few days!" Alex said to Camila.

"I don't think I'll regret it, I already have the dress. But thank you very much anyway," the dancer answered with a wave of her hand. "They were so nice!" She said to the other two as they left the cell.

** Valentina's Apartment **

The trio were entering the apartment with Sam when Shane came out to meet them. "Thank God you are all okay. You had me worried!" She hugged them, "What happened?" The singer asked curiously.

"If you don't mind..." it was Valentina who answered, "I'll tell you tomorrow. All I want is to give Kara a kiss, take a shower to get rid of this prison smell and go to bed..." the blonde stopped when she saw how Sam and Shane looked at each other. "Did something happen to my daughter? TELL ME!" She did not like the face of the couple at all.

"Calm down Valentina, relax!" Sam calmed her, "It's not that. It's just that Kara is not alone. Well... about forty minutes after you guys left, erm..."

"Can you finish what you're saying, with your huge mouth you should be able to say millions of words at once!" Lauren pressed.

"Well, after you left, Juliana arrived..." the man continued, "she asked for Valentina and..."

"And we had to tell her that you had all gone out." Shane finished the sentence. "She went to see Kara and when we went to check on her, she had fallen asleep with her."

Valentina looked at her fellow adventurer's half smiling, half concerned.

"Go see her," Lauren said and the blonde disappeared. "It seems that the one who will need protection tonight is the sweetie," commented the Latina.

"Agreed!" The others supported the motion.  
  



	25. 25. The Carvajal Effect

** Valentina's Apartment - Saturday morning **

Valentina opened her eyes suddenly. She hadn't been able to sleep more than two hours straight, she rolled over in her bed and looked at the damn clock that seemed to be mocking her. And the blonde knew why, she hadn't been able to get Juliana out of her head.

When she arrived home from the police station and Shane had informed her that the brunette was with her daughter, Valentina's soul returned to her body. She went to the room and watched how her girlfriend was practically clinging to her little girl. Valentina had to control herself from going to her daughter's bed, grabbing the brunette and taking her to her own room. But she stopped herself, first, because of how adorable the two looked together and second, because there was an army of six infected hippos defending them, it was practically impossible to do it.

Now she was wide awake. "Ay Valentina, you have to tell her the truth!" The blonde was trying to psyche herself up. The time she spent awake during the night was spent thinking about how to tell her girlfriend that she had been a victim of stalking. "You just stand in front of her, look her in the eye and say 'Juliana, I followed you...' Why? Surely, she will ask me that, and she'll make that pouting face that makes me want to eat her with kisses. Valentina! You have to focus!" She lightly slapped herself in the face.

"I'd rather undress her, she hasn't shown us her little squares for a long time!" Camila said nostalgically as she walked in and sat on her friend's bed.

"Camz! What are you doing here?" Asked the curious blonde. "You and Lauren know that you have your own house right?" This question was not a joke, Valentina was beginning to suspect that the couple no longer had a place to live.

"It was late last night so we stayed here," she explained casually. "Besides, Lolo said she wanted to be present when you told Juls about last night." Valentina covered her head with the pillow. Lauren knew that this conversation would not have a happy ending. "Do you also think it's a bad idea to invite Alex and her friends to our wedding?" Asked the dancer referring to the detainees they met in the cell the night before.

"What am I going to do Camz?" She ignored the question. "Juliana is not going to like that I followed her. How am I going to tell her? 'Juliana, darling, baby... I broke the promise, I lied to you because I didn't trust you.' If I tell her that I'll be single before I can finish explaining to her!"

"Valen..." she grabbed her friend's hands, "maybe you just need to try and trust her from now on," she tried to reason with her.

"You don't understand Mila, I..."

"Do you think I didn't have the same issues with Lolo?" She interrupted her friend's excuses. "When Lauren started working in that office, not a week had passed and there were already two people who wanted to have something with her."

"And what did you do?" If it were up to Valentina, she would have had surveillance cameras installed throughout the office.

"When she told me I was crazy, I was angry and left the apartment to go teach my class. When I came back and saw her sleeping on the sofa waiting for me, I knew that that she was my Lolo and no one else's," sighed the dancer. "I just knew. It's hard but you have to deal with it, for your sake, and for both of you as a couple," she finished with a smile. "We should probably go to the kitchen, those two together with Kara can't lead to anything good!"

The blonde got out of bed. "Okay! I've decided. I'm going to talk to Juliana. I'm going to tell her the truth and from now on... promise to trust her," she concluded before walking into the bathroom, but appeared again a few seconds later. "But just in case I'm going to have to undress before I tell her, so she doesn't pay attention to what I'm saying!" She announced before returning to the bathroom to shower, a long day awaited her.

"Can I be there when you do it?" Camila asked too late because her friend couldn't hear her.

** In the kitchen **

"Come on tell us. We want to know!" Lauren begged her niece who was having breakfast on top of her favourite chair, Juliana.

"Nope!" Kara refused and at the same time put a spoonful of cereal into her mouth.

"Awh that's not fair little kangaroo, you know who we like!" Juliana and Lauren had been trying for a while to get information about the girl's secret crush.

"That you like Mom and that Aunt Lolo likes Aunt Camz is nothing new!" Kara clarified with her mouth half full.

"Is it Lucas?" Guessed the basketball player. The little girl shook her head. "Good because I don't like that little boy at all, she told me that he takes other kid's toys," she whispered to Lauren.

"What is the name of the one who is looks like Mr. Potato Head from Toy Story?" The Latina asked thoughtfully.

"Hahaha!" Juliana laughed. "That's Marcos!" Lauren was right, he was identical.

"Ah It's Marcos!" Said the brunette suddenly.

"Not him either," answered the little Carvajal.

"Hey sweetie," the Latina caught the attention of the basketball player, "who was your first crush?" She asked.

"Hmmm, picture this..." she elbowed the Latina, "I was five years old. I was sitting at one of the round tables with my Michael Jordan backpack slung over my shoulder waiting for the teacher to arrive and suddenly the door opens, and she enters... Miss Emma." Juliana was feeling nostalgic, "She didn't walk, she FLOATED across the room..."

"She was pretty?" Asked the Latina.

"She was beautiful... her eyes... her smile... she had..." Juliana was amused that her daughter was very interested in what she was saying, Lauren smiled mischievously. "Erm... I had a classmate who also enjoyed the presence of the young teacher, I still remember Mondays," the athlete recalled.

"What happened on Mondays mommy?" Asked her daughter.

"We had gymnastics!" She winked at the Latina who understood perfectly. "And Miss Emma would wear leggings that made you want to..." the brunette could not verbalise her thoughts to her daughter, and her enforced abstinence was not helping to control her thoughts. "Erm, but by chance I always managed to get hurt or scraped and the teacher always looked after me. As you can see, even since I was little, I've always been a disaster!"

"What a coincidence!" Lauren added looking at the other woman suspiciously.

"And you? Did some teacher drive you crazy or something?" Juliana returned the question.

"Dolores. My babysitter!" Lauren didn't have to think much about it. "She wore TERRIBLE necklines and had a 'couple of friends'!" The lawyer took advantage of the fact that Kara was looking at her cereal and put her hands in front of her own chest gesturing to Juliana.

"Let me guess..." interrupted the athlete, "the old trick of 'whoops, I dropped the spoon'?"

"Well, in my case it was a pencil, because she helped me with my homework. I still remember the day she told me 'Lauren that is the fifth time you have dropped your pencil!'" The Latina remembered with a smile. "What beautiful memories, when I was single and could look at breasts whenever I wanted," the smile was gone.

"Can you look at breasts when you feel like it, mommy?" The smallest Carvajal asked curiously.

"HA! I'd like to see her try!" Lauren teased. "If after one day she took the DVDs and magazines away, can you imagine what she would do if she caught you looking?"

"What DVDs and magazines?" The little kangaroo vs. Tlacoyo.

"OYE... hold on, you were supposed to tell us who you like!" The athlete confronted her daughter.

"Well... what if it's more than one?" Kara asked shyly as she played with her mother's shirt.

The Latina and Juliana looked at each other holding back their laughter. "More than one?" Lauren asked to make sure she had heard correctly. "How many are we talking about here?" She added, trying to get her niece to look at her, which was difficult because the girl was practically hidden in Juliana's shirt, her little face flushed with shame.

"Pooh Bear?" Juliana called unsuccessfully. "Where is she Lolo? Did we lose her?" Juliana was tickling her daughter to try and keep her talking.

The girl took her head off her mother's chest and faced the two adults and finally spoke. "Well, if I spend more time with Xavi, Marcos gets angry. If at lunch I sit down with Marcos, Poly gets angry." Lauren and Juliana were astonished, the little girl had admirers lining up. "If I play a song on the drums that Poly likes, Bella won't talk to me..."

"Well, you're going to have to get used to it kangaroo..." Lauren started to say.

"Don't call me that!" Interrupted the little girl. Juliana stuck her tongue out at the lawyer. The only one allowed to call her that was her mother.

"As I told you LITTLE RAT!" She highlighted the name, "You will have to get used to it!"

"But I don't want to. I don't want any of them to be mad... why can't I control them the way Aunt Camz does with you?" The little girl did not notice the petrol bomb she had just dropped.

HEY! YOU WATCH YOUR MOUTH LITTLE GIRL!" Lauren pointed her finger at Kara, while out of the corner of her eye she could see how Juliana covered her mouth to keep from laughing. "The fact that Camz always wants things that I am willing to do for her is different," she clarified. "I will repeat to you again, you will just have to get used to it because it is called the 'Carvajal effect!"

"What is the Carvajal effect?" Camila asked entering the kitchen. Behind her appeared a freshly bathed Valentina Carvajal.

"That!" Lauren answered her future wife by pointing her finger at Juliana who was gawking at Valentina.

"Yep. The Carvajal effect!" The dancer agreed, watching how the brunette drooled over her friend.

"Do you see that little mouse?" Her aunt called her attention. "That is how you are going to leave all the boys and girls..." she pointed at the basketball player, "and when you learn how to move your butt like your mother..."

"UNSTOPPABLE!" Camila finished what her girlfriend was going to say.

Valentina and Juliana were literally two steps away from their friends, but they didn't hear anything they said, they were too busy staring at each other.

"Good morning!" It was Valentina who was encouraged to say hello first, approaching her daughter and her girlfriend, who at this moment were a two for one combo.

"Mommy!" The little girl happily greeted her mother's kiss.

"Good morning, your majesty," Juliana greeted mischievously. "We were beginning to think you would not join the peasants for breakfast," she continued with her joke.

"Well from time to time we Queens decide to mix with common people." Valentina said smiling as she sat down with a cup of coffee at the end of the table.

Juliana immediately got up from her chair holding Kara, she grabbed the seat and pulled it next to the blonde before sitting down again. It was not the first time she had done this, and the photographer was very curious about it. "Hello," the brunette greeted her, looking for her Queen's eyes and guiding her mouth to her favourite destination, Valentina's lips.

"Hello," answered the blonde and closed her eyes preparing to receive the thousands of electric shocks that her girlfriend's kisses produced. But she was wrong. There weren't thousands, there were millions.

"I missed you!" Was the first thing Juliana said as soon as they separated.

"A lot?" She asked, teasing her.

Juliana made a thoughtful face. "Hmmm... not that much, just a little!" She replied with a smile and received a gentle blow on the shoulder from the older Carvajal.

"Can you stop being so hideously sweet? And stop looking at each other like that. My God! Your daughter is in the middle!" Lauren teased them receiving a murderous look from Valentina.

"Well... What are we going to do today?" Juliana broke the tension. "I have the weekend off, so I am at your service. What do you want to do?" Juliana asked, exciting the others.

"THE ZOO!" Kara and Camila shouted at the same time, while Valentina and Lauren rolled their eyes.

"AGAIN?" Lauren was not going to lose another pair of boots. "This would be the fourteenth time that we've been to see that aquatic rhinoceros!" Her future wife and Kara looked at her in shock as if she had said something outrageous. "We should go to the cinema!" Suggested the lawyer, "I want to see the new movie with the actress from the vampire film, you know the one who clearly wants Alice Cullen more than her brother!" Lauren commented, referring to Bella Swan in Twilight.

"Lauren is right!" Valentina supported her friend, "I do not want to go to the zoo again today." Valentina earned a mini killer look from her daughter. "But not to the movies either!" This time the killer look was from the Latina. "I KNOW!" A lightbulb moment for the photographer. "Let's go bowling!" Valentina tried to excite the others but between Camila who did not seem to understand the word. Lauren who, like Sheldon Cooper, hated wearing those used shoes. And her daughter, who was offended by her refusal to go to the zoo and was now snuggled into her other mother chest. She did not get the desired result.

"Carvajal, the last time we went bowling, I kicked your ass so bad, you couldn't even sit down in the taxi on the way home!" Lauren was willing to defend her idea with swords if necessary. "I WANT to go to the movies!"

"I want to go see Junior!" Kara said again while using her best pout possible.

"I want to go feed the birds!" Camila didn't cooperate either.

And the carnage began. Insults were thrown on one side, gestures on the other. Shouts and protests...

"SILENCE!" Juliana intervened, making the four stop and look at her.

"Good. That's better!" The brunette congratulated them. "We are going to do the following, but I need all four of you over there." Juliana moved them one by one and sat them next to each other on one side of the table before returning to a seat on the other side. "GOOD! Now, each one of you are going to give me a reason why I, the fabulous Juliana Valdés..." the four ladies rolled their eyes in sync, "should spend my day off in that place instead of doing something more interesting!" The brunette stared at Valentina making her blush, "You have to DEFEND the place and then I decide where we go. Pretend I'm the judge, okay?" All four agreed. "From left to right, Lauren you first," she pointed to the Latina, "Are you ready?" She asked.

"Since the day I was born!" She answered confidently. She is a lawyer after all, this was her stage.

"THAT'S THE ATTITUDE!" She high fived the athlete.

"And let me remind you sweetie, that I still have your DVDs and whenever you want, Jessica Larsson will be waiting for you at my house..."

"LAUREN!" Valentina protested when she saw her girlfriend's face when her ex possessions were named. "STOP EXTORTING JULIANA AND YOU..." she pointed to her girlfriend, "IT'S TIME YOU STOPPED CRYING OVER THAT IDIOT!"

"Valentina, I remind you that I am the judge here..." Jessica Larsson, the porn star should NEVER be called an idiot in front of Juliana, "and if you want to go bowling today, it is not a good idea to insult Jessica Larson... so shhh!" She silenced her girlfriend who was about to protest. "It is up to Lauren to present her case first, and who at this moment, is the favourite!" Juliana commented softly, earning protests from the rest and a smile from the Latina. "Okay... Go!" The brunette encouraged the lawyer to begin.

"Thank you Your Honour. If we go to the movies, we could watch the new Snow White movie. Not only would we be delighted with the BEAUTIFUL blonde, and I ask that Charlize Theron be highlighted to the court, but we will also have the opportunity to watch Kristen Stewart fighting, did you hear me Your Honour? FIGHTING! And on several occasions, according to the previews!" She clarified.

"Is that it?" Asked the brunette.

"No... I would also like to add that you have monumental legs and an ass to die for! If the bitter blonde you call a girlfriend does not satisfy you tonight, my fiancée and I will be very willing to collaborate with you on that cause!" Camila nodded with a smile. "Okay, that's all." Lauren finished her defence with a flick of her hair and a snap of her fingers. She sat on her chair to await the verdict.

"Miss Jauregui, I'm sorry to tell you that first of all, I do not have eyes for other women!" This comment brought a smile to Valentina's face. "And second, I'm sure that the last thing you said qualifies as bribery, so your request is DENIED! Although I do thank you for your comments towards my legs and butt. I run every day. So, thank you!"

"OBJECTION!" Yelled the lawyer.

"DENIED!" Juliana concluded. "Your turn Miss Cabello, the future Mrs Jauregui," she pointed to the dancer.

Camila stood up and without any warning took off her shirt, revealing her breasts. "That's all Your Honour!" Commented the half naked dancer from her place without any shame.

"CAMILA!" Valentina managed to cover her daughter's eyes with one hand and Juliana's with the other, but accidentally poked her girlfriend in the eye.

"Nice try darling!" The Latina congratulated her with a kiss.

"LAUREN STOP CONGRATULATING YOUR GIRLFRIEND AND PUT HER T-SHIRT BACK ON!" Valentina insisted, on one side she had Kara trying to see what all the fuss was about, and on the other she could feel the involuntary tears of the brunette falling on her hand.

As soon as Camila put on her shirt with the help of the Latina, the blonde moved over to her girlfriend to look at her eye. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to poke you," she said while inspecting the girl's face.

"It stings... it stings... blow... blow!" Juliana asked while tears ran down her face, Valentina feeling very guilty, obeyed while stroking the brunettes face. They sat gazing at each other longer than was necessary.

"Can you save your sex games for later? Let's finish this once and for all!" Lauren had not yet accepted that the athlete had rejected her proposal.

"Can you stop saying those things in front of my daughter?" Asked Valentina annoyed by the timing of Lauren's interruption.

"You should have heard her a while ago talking about her babysitter's breasts!" The little girl stated, the photographer's famous murderous look was directed at her best friend.

"Treacherous little rat!" Her niece would not be her niece for much longer. "Don't look at me like that V. It was your girlfriend who started it, talking about her teacher's butt..."

"SILENCE IN THE ROOM PLEASE!" The only thing that Juliana lacked was a scene of jealousy from Valentina for her crushes in kindergarten. She could already see her girlfriend forcing her to call the teacher to apologise for looking at her butt. "Miss Cabello, although your breasts are very..." she looked at her girlfriend who was waiting attentively for what the brunette was going to say, "very suitable for any human body, they are not enough to convince me, so your request is... DENIED!" She hit the table imitating a judge.

"Ignore her Camzi Camz," Lauren consoled her girlfriend. "Your breasts could even get Freddy Krueger out of jail!"

"Next please," ordered the judge without paying any attention to the complaints of the others. She looked at her little girl. "Miss Kangaroo, please start," she asked.

"Madam Judge..." she looked at her mother to see if she had said it correctly and she nodded. "Madam judge, if I am allowed to go see Junior, the hippopotamus, I will be a very, very happy girl. And if I am a VERY happy girl, do you know what happens?" She looked at the entire audience.

"What happens kangaroo?" Asked her most recent mother.

"Well, if I am happy, my mothers are too. Both my mothers have said so!" Concluded the girl as if it had been the most obvious thing in the world.

"OBJECTION!" Said Valentina raising her hand.

"Go ahead Miss Carvajal senior," authorised the judge.

"In this case, as Kara's mother, I assure you that if we go to the zoo today, I would not be happy," the blonde testified.

"Okay. So, Miss Kangaroo, I am sorry to inform you but with this new testimony your defence has crumbled. Do you have anything more to add?" She asked her daughter sweetly.

"Hmm..." the little girl tried to think something quickly, "I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH MOM!" She added and hugged the brunette.

"OBTAINED!" Camila shouted.

"Objection love," Lauren corrected her.

"Denied!" Said the brunette who was still melting in her daughter's arms.

"Okay, good..." Juliana finished the hug ready to go visit the hippopotamus, "unless the older Miss Carvajal has an ace up her sleeve, I would say that Miss Kangaroo has won the case!" Nothing in the world could beat an I love you and a hug from Kara, but everyone deserved a shot.

"Good luck mom..." the girl said to the blonde, "you're going to need it!" The smug little girl whispered so only her original mother would hear her.

"Well I only have one thing to say..." Valentina said to the audience and then turned to look at her girlfriend. "Madam Judge..." the photographer grabbed her girlfriend and attacked her lips. Her entire defence was based on making Juliana understand, if they went bowling, the kiss she was giving her now would be repeated many more times.

"OBJECTION!" Lauren and Kara yelled without any response. Valentina had monopolized all the Judge's attention. "OBJECTION!" They tried again. But nothing. Apparently, the blonde was reviewing her case point by point.

Suddenly Valentina cut the kiss. "That's all Your Honour!" She said and walked back to her seat moving her hips excessively.

The remaining three girls looked at the brunette who was frozen where her girlfriend had left her. "BOWLING! CASE CLOSED!" Juliana sentenced, hitting the table again before quickly exiting onto the balcony of the apartment for some much needed fresh air. Apparently, Valentina's kiss kills Kara's hug, well that was what the evidence suggested.

"There is no better defence, than a good attack!" Said Valentina winking at the others. "THAT, is the Carvajal effect my dears!" She said, smiling evilly at her daughter and friends.

  
  



	26. 26. Tonight, is the night!

** Bowling - Saturday afternoon **

They were on the fifth shot already and Lauren was practically sweeping the floor with each of them. And there were a number reasons for this...

First: Camila, every time she went to bowl, she performed a different dance step before releasing the ball, it goes without saying that none of her shots hit the desired destination.

Second: Kara, the little girl did not have much strength or skill, she rolled the ball with two hands and almost always threw it straight in to the gutter.

And third: Juliana and Valentina, they were an entirely different kind of problem. Since they had arrived at the bowling alley, they had been unable to keep their hands off each other. If Juliana sat down, she pulled Valentina to sit on top of her, she did not want space between them. Juliana needed to be close to her girlfriend at all times. They took their turns by standing up, throwing the ball as fast as possible and returning to their place, one on top of the other. Neither really cared where their ball ended up. That was one of the main reasons Lauren was winning.

"Mommy I'm thirsty," the smallest of the group announced.

Valentina tore herself away from her comfortable spot, seemingly Juliana in another life was a piece of furniture, but her girlfriend stopped her. "It's okay beautiful, I'll go," she left a short kiss on her girlfriend's lips. "Come on, kangaroo," she took her little girl's hand and they both headed to the canteen.

"I'm going with you," Camila followed them.

Lauren walked back from taking her shot, after another strike. "Sometimes I get tired of being so fucking good at this game!" She followed her friend's gaze and found exactly what she expected, Juliana Valdés. "V... V... VALENTINA!" She struggled to get the photographer's attention. "Seriously V, what the hell are you waiting for to bed the sweetie? I swear that every time you two touch, there's a shock wave so strong it would decimate a forest!"

"I don't know what's wrong with me Lern..." she needed to talk to someone. "I can't stop looking at her, touching her, kissing her... Nothing like this has ever happened to me... I need... I need to..." suddenly she looked at Kara and then her friend.

"What? Don't look at me like that V... NO, NO and NO!" Lauren had guessed Valentina's intentions.

"Please Lauren. Just for tonight. Please!" Begged Valentina.

"Valentina, do you know how long it's been since I touched my future wife?... DAYS... do you hear me?... I have been DAYS without her! If Kara stays with us tonight, she and Camila will make me watch the stupid movie about the fish... Mencho and..."

"Nemo," the blonde corrected her.

"Yeah, that one!" She accepted the correction, rolling her eyes. "They will want to make popcorn and snuggle on the sofa until they fall asleep. Which leaves me alone in my bed trying to sleep without having had my favourite night-time exercise." Lauren explained slowly so that her friend understood her need.

"I'll take care of Tlacoyo for a week!" The photographer offered as an incentive. The former cheerleader was her only option since the rest of her friends lived in Miami.

"Nope!" The Latina refused.

"For two weeks... and during your honeymoon!" The blonde raised the offer. "Please Lern, I need this night alone with Juliana, I still have to tell her about last night... I am going to have to undress, do you understand? Do you really want your niece to see her mother naked begging her other mother not to leave her? Is that what you want Lauren?" Valentina pleaded with her best friend.

"Do you know what day it is today?" The Latina asked rhetorically, "Today is Saturday. Every Saturday my parents call, then Camila's! I have to put up with their opinions, one after the other, about MY wedding, about MY life and MY fiancée's! They are dementors slowly sucking out my soul Valentina, do you understand?" The lawyer demonstrated her fanaticism for Harry Potter. "Do you know what the only thing that gives me back the will to live?" The blonde took a deep breath and released it while pouting, she knew the answer. "Exactly!" Lauren knew she understood. "Camila rewards me, so to speak, for putting up with our parents with a wonderful, unforgettable and unique marathon of sex. And believe me Valentina, I would not miss that marathon for the world, even if I have to put up with that fat cat for another one hundred years! A tip V... Take a cold shower and start bowling because I'm getting bored of winning!" She patted her friend on the back without realising she had given Valentina an idea.

"How about we make a bet Lern?" She had to get what she wanted one way or another.

"I know what you want, and you are not going to get it V!" Sentenced the Latina.

"What do you want honey?" The athlete appeared next to her girlfriend with her daughter, who at this moment was trying to prevent her Aunt Camila from stealing her cookies.

"Lauren is afraid of losing!" Valentina taunted her.

"But that's nothing new. She made that very clear during our paintball session!" Juliana added fuel to the fire.

"I wouldn't go there if I were you sweetie, you could end up taking care of my cat for a whole month!" She answered without shrinking. "Also, look at the scoreboard. There is no way you would beat me, not to mention the fact that I am unstoppable today!" The lawyer pointed to the score board.

"All the more reason why you should take the bet!" Added Valentina. "You know what Juls, just leave her, Lauren has always been like this... a coward... so cowardly that to this day she does not dare to stand up to her parents or Camila's!" The photographer knew which buttons to press to make her friend react.

"CARVAJAL! I hope you did not say what I think you just said, because if so, I swear that you will take care of Tlacoyo until my grandchildren are born!" Lauren threatened.

"Well, you did hear right... or should I call your future in-laws so they can explain it to you... COWARD!" Lauren was out for blood, Carvajal blood.

"You know what dumb blonde? You asked for it... if I win this game, not only will you keep the fat cat for a month, but you will also and I don't know how, but somehow, you will convince Camila to give you Tlacoyo's offspring." Lauren did not want to put up with the next generation of that cat as well.

"And if I win, you'll grant me my wish?!" Valentina communicated with her friend in code, she didn't want the brunette to see how desperate she was for a night alone with her.

"Done!" They shook hands.

"CAMZ! Come see me win!" The Latina needed all the support she could get.

Juliana hugged Valentina from behind, wrapping her arms around her and resting her hands on her girlfriend's stomach. The brunette left a kiss on her girl's neck that made the blonde shudder.

"Juls... baby... it's not that I'm complaining but I need to concentrate on this game and with you so close I don't think I can." She explained sweetly trying to get away, unfortunately her body did not agree with her mind and didn't move.

"Sorry, it's just that you have no idea of what you're doing to me," the brunette whispered. "And please believe me when I tell you that I'm trying not to touch you more than I should," explained the suffering athlete.

"WHERE THE HELL IS MY BALL... I HAVE TO WIN THIS GAME!" Valentina separated from her girlfriend, it was for the good of them both.

~~~~~~

Lauren was standing in front of her lane staring at her target. She knew if she could knock down at least one pin in her last shot, it would be one of the most rewarding games of her life. She took a deep breath, brought the ball back and...

"CAMILA STOP SHOWING YOUR BREASTS TO THOSE MEN!" Valentina shouted. The Latina fumbled the ball which went straight into the gutter. At this point, the blonde was not interested in good sportsmanship.

"CARVAJAL! THAT IS CHEATING!" Her friend accused.

"Don't make me laugh Lolo, on my last turn you stood next to me describing Juliana's legs inch by inch!" Sportsmanship was clearly not an issue for either. "Now step aside, it's my turn!" Valentina walked past the lawyer with her ball in hand and got into position. "Come on Valentina. A night alone with Juliana. You need this strike. Come on!" The blonde encouraged herself.

Just as Valentina was about to throw her last shot, "Is it normal for Juliana to be looking at the waitress like she wants to devour her?"

Luckily, Valentina had not loosened her hand and managed to stop the shot just in time. She spun to look at her girlfriend who, far from looking at another woman, was teaching Kara how to bowl in another lane.

"You need to work on your timing Lern!" She warned her friend as she watched Juliana take off her jacket, revealing a tight t-shirt which highlighted her muscular back and arms. "I will win this game, as sure as my name is Valentina Carvajal!" She told herself.

"Okay," she sighed, then steadied herself, took another breath and threw the ball. "Come on, to the right..." the blonde tried to give the object direction with her hands. "That's it, that's it... yes, yes, yes, YEESSSSS!!" _STRIKE_! The photographer won the game.

"MAMI, MAMI, did you win?" Kara was running towards her mother when she heard her shouts of celebration.

"YES!" Answered the blonde while receiving the hug from her daughter. "And you know what?" She asked her little girl, who was waiting eagerly for her to continue, "Your aunt Lolo has something to tell you, right Lolo?" She urged the Latina who was still being consoled by her fiancée.

Lauren detached herself from her girlfriend and looked at Valentina with all the rage in the world. "Come on Lolo..." the blonde was playing with fire, "tell Kara what you want to do tonight!" She insisted again.

"Erm... Kara... Camz and I wanted to invite you to stay at our house tonight. We can watch a movie, eat some delicious food... although if you don't want to, we can save it for another day!" She hastened to say, trying to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

"Seriously?" The little girl's eyes lit up with excitement, Lauren said goodbye to her night-time marathon while nodding to her niece's question.

"Can we watch Nemo?" This time it was Camila who asked enthusiastically. Valentina had to hide behind her girlfriend to prevent the lawyer from seeing her laugh.

"Yes, darling, we can watch whatever you want," affirmed the Latina whose spirits were beginning to lift.

"Okay good, but first you have to convince my parents to arrive a week before the wedding. I want my mom to be at my bachelorette party." The dancer told her girlfriend, removing all traces of her lightened mood.

"I'm sure she'll be 'delighted' to do it Camila!" Valentina spoke for her friend. "However..." the blonde turned to face her girlfriend, "you and I have an appointment tonight," she informed her.

"An appointment?" The brunette was not sure she had heard correctly.

"Yes. An appointment. At my house," she assured her while playing with the collar of her shirt. "And this time I'll cook."

"Do you want me to bring dessert?" Juliana asked mischievously, grabbing her girlfriend by the waist.

"You just worry about being at my apartment for nine o'clock... I'll show you later what my favourite dessert is," their night held promise.

"CAN WE GO NOW OR ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP FOOLING AROUND? Unlike Valentina, Lauren's night did not hold any promise. "Hurry up, this day cannot get any worse, and look... now it's raining!" Said the Latina who looked at the sky which reflected her dark mood.

"Well Lolo..." the blonde appeared next to her, "you don't need to take a shower, just stand in the rain for a while, it'll cool you down!" Valentina kept playing with fire. Lauren Jauregui is not one to be made fun of.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" The lawyer laughed ironically. "Hey Juliana..." Lauren spoke to the brunette who was holding her jacket over the heads of the other women so they wouldn't get wet on the way to the car, "don't forget to ask Valentina about Alex and the other new friends she made last night!" She finished as she got into the back seat of the car to join Kara and Camila.

"Alex and other friends? What is she talking about?" Juliana asked her girlfriend while she opened the passenger door for her before running to the driver's side.

"Nothing Baby. I'll tell you tonight." Valentina reassured her while looking at a smirking Lauren in the rear-view mirror.

** Valentina's Apartment - Saturday night **

"Dinner? Almost finished cooking in the oven, bottle of Diet Coke in the refrigerator, even though I still don't understand the obsession with this drink! Okay, I think I'm ready." Valentina was going over the list of things she considered essential for her date with Juliana. "Candles?... Are lit," her nerves were beginning to show. "Well, everything is perfect, you just need to work up the courage to talk to her! And then get her to forgive you for breaking the promise, ugh!" Sighed the blonde. "That's all!" The blonde didn't know how Juliana was going to react to the news. A knock on the door brought her out of her musings.

Before opening it, Valentina stood in front of the mirror to look at herself one last time. She had chosen a simple but very sensual short black dress and had gathered her hair in a very sophisticated hairstyle. When Lauren had arrived to collect Kara, she accused her of 'leaving a lot of skin on display', referring to Valentina's exposed neck. After quickly adding a few drops of perfume to her neck, Valentina opened the door.

"Hel..." the word died on the blonde's lips. Apparently, it was the brunette's custom to surprise her girlfriend every time a door was opened. The brunette was beautiful. Apparently, the athlete not only looked amazing in jeans or dress pants, but she also knew how to carry an elegant dress. She had chosen a short black dress that was glued to her body and highlighted her muscular arms and legs. And in her had rested a beautiful rose.

"Good evening my Queen," Juliana greeted her girlfriend. "I never thought I would be so lucky to have most beautiful woman in the world, the woman who takes my breath away every time I look at her, as my girlfriend." She approached the blonde. "This is for you..." she gave her the rose, "there is only one because it is unique, just like you," she explained getting even closer, hoping for a kiss.

"Juls... you're... you're... WOW... BEAUTIFUL!" Was all Valentina managed to say after the shock she had received.

"I love to leave you speechless beautiful, but I want my kiss more. I don't just want it, I need it!" Explained the basketball player, making her girlfriend smile.

"Come here silly," the blonde put her arms around the brunette's neck and welcomed her girlfriend's mouth on hers with a slow and soft kiss.

"Hello," Juliana greeted resting her forehead on Valentina's. "I missed you!" She added.

"Hello," she responded with a smile. "The clock was moving too slow for my liking," admitted Valentina, while her hands slid down the brunettes arms seeking her girlfriend's hands to gently grasp them. "Is it raining a lot?" She asked when she felt some of the droplets on the brunette's skin.

"Yes, quite a bit," she answered before kissing her girlfriend softly. "Food smells delicious." Juliana brought them back to the present, they both knew that dinner would be the least important event of the night.

"I hope you like it..." Valentina pulled Juliana's hand to lead her to the table, that had been set for an intimate meal for two on opposite sides of the table so they could face each other, "can you get the drinks while I check on our dinner?" The blonde asked kindly.

"Of course, your majesty!" Juliana winked at her girlfriend.

When they both returned, Valentina put the dinner on the table and watched as Juliana once again, moved her chair next to hers, the photographer knew it was time to ask. "Why do you always do that?"

"What?" She asked as she pulled out her girlfriend's chair to let her sit down.

"Thank you... You always move the chair next to me, or if I sit in a place you move to where I am?" She explained.

"Does that bother you?" She asked as she sat down.

"No... it's just that it catches my attention and I want to know why you do it," she explained again, as she lifted the tray and served her girlfriend.

"Hmmm... I'm embarrassed..." Juliana lowered her head looking at her plate.

"What? I don't believe it, Juliana Valdés is embarrassed!" Valentina joked. "Come on... tell me!" She tapped her shoulder gently. The athlete shook her head again, refusing. "No? Hmm..." the photographer thought for a moment. "What if I tell you something embarrassing about me first?" When the brunette looked at her, Valentina knew she had caught her attention.

"Maybe... it depends on how embarrassing it is!" Juliana was not going to let herself be coerced so easily.

"Well it might not be embarrassing, but it is something I regret enormously and have been ashamed to tell anyone." The blonde turned red.

"I love that colour on your skin..." Juliana caressed her girl's face, "please tell me, beautiful." She encouraged.

"When I found out that I was pregnant with Kara..." Valentina began her story, "I... I didn't know what to do, Lucho and I weren't together, we had only been together once and..." she took a breath and felt her girlfriend's hand caressing her leg, "and the first thing I thought about was giving her up for adoption... Now every time I remember, I am ashamed of myself for even considering it!" Valentina did not want to ruin the atmosphere but every time she remembered that moment, she could not stop the tears from forming.

"Hey." Juliana gently cradled her face. "But you didn't do it, you have her here with you and that's something which I have to thank you for every day. You gave me a daughter and she is one of the most beautiful things that has ever happened to me in my life." The brunette kissed each of the tears that ran down her girlfriend's face. "We all have our moments beautiful, I have had several," she said, touching her tattoo. "The important thing is that Kara is with you, with us," this time the kiss went directly to her lips.

"Your turn," Valentina said, while barely separated from Juliana. "Tell me why you need to be close to me all the time," she joked while taking hold of her girlfriend's hands.

"Well... when I was little, I used to have nightmares. They were always the same, my mother or my father would leave, they would move away and leave me or sometimes they would just disappear. One night my mother woke me up from a bad dream and I explained to her what was happening in my dreams... She grabbed my hands, squeezed them tightly..." the brunette squeezed her girlfriend's hands, "and said, _'Jul_ _y_ _, daughter, can you feel me?'_ I nodded. _'See? If you feel me it's because I'm still with you, I'm never going to leave you!'_ Juliana looked at the blonde. "And the same happens with you, I need to feel you close, to be able to touch you at all times, it makes me feel safe, and that way I know that you haven't left me," she finished by hiding her face on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Juls... baby... Look at me please," asked the blonde, successfully raising her girlfriend's face to look into her beautiful brown eyes. "That's... beautiful. You make me feel really special," she added.

"You are special!" Assured the athlete.

"I need to tell you something." Valentina knew she had to be honest. "What Lauren said earlier..." the blonde watched her girlfriend frown with concern. "I followed you last night!" She released without anaesthetic. "I know I was wrong, but the thought of other women in the bar drooling over you, I went crazy and I couldn't think of any other idea than to follow you!" The blonde didn't like the look on Juliana's face.

"Valentina... you... you promised me that..."

"Yes, yes, I know! I know I promised you that I was going to tell you the truth, that's why when we were in the cell I..."

"In a cell? What do you mean in a cell?" Juliana stood up and began to walk nervously around the room.

"Well, Camila had brought the bag with the binoculars and the rest of the toys that you and Kara like to play with... and Lauren inadvertently dropped the gun and well... we ended up at the police station!" She summarised.

"Wait a minute..." Juliana stopped. "Are you telling me that you not only followed me to the bar, but you were spying on me with binoculars?" Juliana needed to understand.

"I know... I know it sounds crazy but..."

"It doesn't sound crazy... IT IS INSANITY VALENTINA!" Sentenced the brunette. "So, the whole time I was out in that bar, a place I didn't even want to go to, were I spent the whole time thinking about you, and wishing I was with you... you were there with your friends spying on me through binoculars!" The athlete grabbed her jacket.

"Where are you going?" The blonde reached to hold on to the jacket. "Juls, I am so sorry, it was crazy moment..."

"You promised me Valentina, you promised me that you were going to be honest with me." As her girlfriend didn't let go of her jacket, the brunette decided to go out without it. "I have to go, I need to think," and just like that, Juliana had left.

"Juls..." Valentina couldn't understand how she had Juliana in her hands moments ago, and in the blink of an eye, the brunette was gone.

** Valentina's apartment - an hour later **

"I don't know, Lern... of course she isn't answering her cell phone, she left everything here!" Valentina had told her friend what happened. "She didn't even take the car keys. I'm worried!" Said the blonde, at the same time someone knocked on her door. "Lern I have to go, someone is knocking the door, thanks for keeping Kara tonight. Bye." She hung up and walked to the door, praying it was the brunette.

And indeed, her prayers had been answered, for the second time that night Juliana Valdés was standing at the entrance of her apartment, but this time she was soaked. "Juliana I..."

The blonde could not finish speaking, Juliana in one movement had entered, closed the door and had Valentina pressed against it. "YOU NOTHING VALENTINA. YOU ARE GOING TO SHUT UP WHILE I TALK!" The brunette looked at her angrily and the blonde expected the athlete to end the relationship. "I love you!" But Juliana surprised her again.

"What did you say?" Asked the stunned photographer.

"I LOVE YOU!" This time she said it much louder. She grabbed the blonde's face standing a few inches from her. "I love you and I want you! I don't care that you still don't trust me, I deserve it, my past deserves it. But tonight, I am going to show you that my present is worth it. I'm going to show you that every millimetre of my skin belongs to you, I'm going to show you that this..." with her right hand she grabbed Valentina's hand and put it on her heart, "that this heart only beats for you... to show how this part of my body..." she moved the same hand of the blonde and put it on her crotch, "this part of my body only wants you!" Juliana wasted no more time, she kissed Valentina roughly but intensely, "Valentina..." their eyes met again, "ask me..." demanded the brunette at the same time that she left a small bite on the blonde's earlobe. "Ask me to make love to you," she demanded again.

Valentina didn't need to hear anymore, she tried to kiss the brunette but the other woman was faster and dodged her. "Tell me!" Juliana needed to hear it.

"Juliana, I don't want... I NEED you to make love to me!" And this time the brunette did not avoid the kiss.

Neither were aware how they got there, but when they reached the bedroom, they stopped in front of each other. Juliana grabbed her soaked dress and pulled it off immediately. When Valentina tried to imitate her, the brunette stopped her, "I'll do it." She commanded, Valentina raised her arms as she removed her dress, which at this moment was only an inconvenience.

They looked at each other in silence, as they admired their naked bodies, at this moment words were superfluous. They were quickly joined again by their mouths. Their hands trying to feel everything in their path. Juliana gently carried the blonde to the bed and lay on her.

Valentina knew she had to say something, something she had wanted to say for a long time, but she couldn't find the words or the strength to say it. When she finally spoke, her voice came out drugged and slow. "I love you."

Juliana stopped what she was doing, she pulled back looking for Valentina's eyes. "Say it again!" She asked.

"I LOVE YOU!" The blonde repeated smiling. Juliana lowered herself on to Valentina until their sensitive breasts met and she caught her lips again. The brunette's hands ran over the other woman's body, they went so slowly that the blonde believed they would never reach their destination. When one of them gently squeezed her breast, Valentina could not prevent a soft moan from escaping her.

"I like it!" Juliana said.

"What do you like?" Asked Valentina.

"The noise you made..." she caressed the same place again and got the same result, "that moan... I like it!" Repeated the brunette.

Valentina couldn't blush anymore, her skin had reached the limit of redness. "I'm sorry," she apologised.

"Why are you sorry? I told you I liked it. It drives me crazy. Your voice is one of the things I like the most." Juliana explained while she brought her mouth to one of her girlfriend's nipples, biting it gently. Valentina was moaning again. "And I'm already falling in love with your moans too!" She went back up to grab her girl's lower lip with her teeth.

"Mmmmm..." the photographer couldn't contain them anymore.

"Yes, like that..." murmured the brunette. "What about this..." she very gently slipped one of her fingers along her girlfriend's folds, making her moan again until she stopped at her entrance and gently entered her. "I've thought a lot about this moment." Juliana said as she ran her mouth over each part of the blonde's body while her fingers continued to move slowly inside Valentina, the blonde's breathing was getting faster and faster.

"Juliana please," begged Valentina, she was close and needed the brunette to speed up her movements.

"Not yet my queen..." she was biting her breasts again. "Not yet. We have time. And I want to hear your moans over and over again. Even if you don't want to, because you won't be able to help it." This time Valentina moaned because Juliana with her other hand was squeezing her butt tightly. "I want to make you sigh, I want your heart to reach the speed limit, I want you to scream with desire until you fall into my arms." She spoke sweetly, adding more friction to her girlfriend's centre.

But Valentina could not hold it any longer, it was too much, the spasms overtook her, moaning Juliana's name and arching her back, until she collapsed on to her bed without strength. It felt like she was floating, like she had no bones to support her. She was unable to speak coherently, the only thing that came from her lips were soft moans and meaningless murmurs. Until she felt the brunette spread her legs to place herself between them.

"No..." she tried to stop her, "I don't think I can do it again!" Valentina could still feel the throbbing tremors of her previous orgasm.

"Of course you can beautiful," whispered Juliana as she joined their wet centres. "You can because I love you," the brunette left a soft kiss on her girlfriend's mouth and began to move her hips in a circular motion earning another moan from the blonde. "You can because I need you," she left another kiss on her neck while Valentina's hands made their way to the athletes sculptured ass, "and this time, we will do it together." She assured while intensifying the movement of their bodies.

Valentina held on tight to her girlfriend as the pressure and speed increased. They kissed passionately, moaning together as their bodies trembled and their orgasms ripped through them. Juliana collapsed on top of her girlfriend exhausted, all the tension from earlier now gone.


	27. 27: We're in control

** Casa Carvajal - Sunday morning **

"This little finger deserves a kiss..." Juliana was sitting against the headboard of Valentina's bed with her girlfriend laying between her legs, the blonde's back resting on the athlete's chest. Juliana was entertaining herself by playing with Valentina's hand, "and this little finger..." she said while kissing each of the blonde's fingers, "and I have to give this little guy a kiss too so that he doesn't get jealous of the others!" She kissed her pinkie finger.

"And these?" Valentina raised her other hand. "If you don't kiss them, they will also get jealous..." she warned, "and if I remember correctly, you have a lot to thank this hand for!" She reminded her of the pleasure she had received.

"Hmmm..." Juliana thought, "Can I kiss all the parts of your body that deserve it?" She asked, leaving a small kiss on the hand Valentina had just raised. The athlete grabbed her girlfriend by the waist pulling her further up her body until her breasts brushed the soft, white back of the blonde. "Until last night I thought I knew what it was like to be with a woman..." she kissed her girlfriend's neck. "Until last night I thought I knew what pleasure was..." little by little her hands left the blonde's waist and began to rise, they had a specific destination in mind. "You changed that..." Juliana stopped the path of her hands just below Valentina's breasts. "Last night... you took me to heaven..." in a coordinated movement her mouth caught the lobe of one of Valentina's ears and her hands squeezed her breasts delicately.

"Juls... mmm... baby..." Valentina knew if the brunette insisted, her body would give way, but she really couldn't take another round. Her girlfriend was insatiable.

"I love you," the brunette said softly in her ear while with her fingers she caught the sensitive nipples of the blonde. "I love you and I want to make love to you a thousand more times to show you." She caressed her girlfriend's breasts again, covering them fully with her hands.

"Julmmm... hon... honey... don't... God... mmm..." the photographer tried to stop them but her moans escaped from her mouth.

"If you think those noises will make me stop, you are very wrong, they drive me crazy!" She informed her as her right hand left one of her favourite places and approached another.

Valentina knew that she would not have much strength to stop 'the beast', in fact the brunette had won the game every time she put it into practice. But to the relief of the photographer and detriment of the athlete, Valentina's cell phone began to ring. "Juls... I have to answer..." she tried to move but the brunette's arms and legs stopped her, "Come on baby... let me answer it," she asked softly.

"No, I don't want you to..." the athlete refused. "I need to touch you," it seems that the last eight hours were not enough.

"It could be Kara!" The blonde had to play her strongest card.

"Oooooh... not fair!" Juliana complained, releasing her girlfriend and throwing herself on to the mattress and covering her face with the pillow.

Valentina smiled and caressed her girlfriend's marked stomach to calm her down. "You look like Kara when I deny her chocolate!" She said while grabbing her cell phone. "Hello!" She answered, still laughing at Juliana who muttered something like, "you are much better than chocolate" under the pillow.

"CARVAJAL, YOU HAVE EXACTLY TEN MINUTES TO COME GET YOUR DAUGHTER! I SWEAR TO GOD IF I HAVE TO HAVE BREAKFAST WHILE WATCHING THAT RENCHO..."

"Nemo." Valentina corrected her, half listening to what her friend was saying and half looking at Juliana, who by the look on her face, was clearly plotting something.

"IT'S THE SAME THING!" Lauren wasn't interested in names right now. Her night hadn't gone any better than she predicted. "NEMO, RENCHO, MENCHO OR WHATEVER HIS NAME... YOU APPEAR AT MY DOOR OR..." Lauren had to stop because she heard odd noises coming from the other side. "What are you doing?" She asked when she heard several noises in a row from the other end of the line.

"Escaping from Juliana!" Valentina answered agitated.

"What do you mean escaping from Ju...? OH MY GOD... DID YOU SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER?" After her friend had explained what had happened at dinner, Lauren did not imagine that ending.

"Not only the night!" Answered the blonde, Lauren was sure that Valentina had an enormous smile on her face.

"I KNEW IT! I KNEW SOMEONE WITH THOSE LEGS WAS GOING TO BE FUCKING GOOD IN BED... did you touch them V? Are they made of ivory like we imagined?" The Latina wanted to keep asking but more noises from the other side interrupted her. "V?... VALENTINA? Are you still there?" The Latina thought that the blonde had cut the call, but when she heard her friend's voice, she continued to listen. On the other side she could hear chairs moving, doors opening and closing.

"Juls, honey I'm talking to Lolo... No, we're not going to play the beast now... we already played a lot last night and believe me I am still feeling the consequences!"

Lauren couldn't help but laugh, Camila looked at her from the doorframe thinking she had gone crazy. "Don't look at me like that, I'm not crazy. Come and listen to Valentina, she's trying to run away from the sweetie." The Latina said as she put the cell phone on speakerphone.

"JULIANA VALDÉS REMOVE YOUR HANDS RIGHT NOW!" Valentina's voice tried to sound severe but both girls could distinguish one or two laughs hidden in her voice.

"Do you think I can control them?" The voice of the brunette was heard. "Have you seen yourself in the mirror lately Valentina? No one in their right mind would stop touching you!"

Camila and Lauren looked at each other. "The sweetie is right," the Latina told her fiancée and the dancer agreed. There were rapid footsteps, laughter and a loud scream that was apparently from Valentina.

"Juls... st... stop... enough... my God Juliana... yes... aaah... if I let you do it one more time... I'll not be able to... hmm... walk... GOD JULIANA!"

Suddenly silence invaded the room, someone had cut the call. Camila and Lauren looked at each other. "Do you think she killed her?" The dancer asked naively.

"Which one?" Lauren asked mischievously. "No darling, but by the sounds of it, Valentina couldn't stop the beast this time!" Concluded the Latina laughing.

"Aunt Lolo..." Kara had just woken up, she was still in her pyjamas with One under her arm as she approached her aunts, "can we watch Nemo while we have breakfast?" And this was exactly what Lauren had feared. The apocalypse.

** Lauren and Camila's house - One hour later **

_"Sharkbait... Oohhaha... Welcome brother Sharkbait... Sharkbait Oohhaha..."_ Not only was Lauren tired of hearing the same voices over and over, but now, her not so adored niece had forced her to learn all the lines in the movie. Because, as Kara reminded her all the time, Juliana knew it so, she had to learn it too. The Latina had sworn last night, and again this morning, that she would make the athlete pay for every missed orgasm with her fiancée, and for every time she had to repeat 'Sharkbait Oohhaha.'

"Lolo the door." Camila pulled her from her thoughts by sending her to open the door.

And of course whenever a door is knocked, who is normally behind it? Juliana Valdés. "Good morning," the athlete innocently greeted the brunette. "I brought a black coffee for my favourite Latina and..."

Juliana naively thought she could calm Lauren down with a coffee, but in the blink of an eye, the lawyer had her against the wall. "Do you think that a simple coffee will fix all the damage that film has caused to my nervous system?" She asked, trying to intimidate the athlete.

"Well if it's worth anything, I also brought you your favourite cupcakes too!" Juliana tried to calm the Latina by showing her the bag.

Lauren was about to give in, she had even released the brunette, but when athlete heard Dory in the background and had the stupid idea of singing along with the lyrics, _"Just keep swimming... just keep swimming... swimming swimming... what do we do?... we swim..."_

The Latina got angrier and shoved the athlete against the wall again. "Let me tell you a story, Valdés..."

"What happened to Sweetie?" Asked the brunette after the sudden name change. But her doubts were answered as soon as she saw the look that the lawyer gave her for interrupting her. "Okay! Valdés is fine, please continue dear Lauren."

"Last night, when Camila finished reading with my ex-niece... don't open your mouth!" The Latina announced when she noticed Juliana was about to discuss the 'ex' statement. "My girlfriend had to read with Kara last night, because according to the little girl, she and her mommy Juliana read together every night..." she said the latter in an annoyed tone. "Camz finished the story and lay down next to me. Of course, I was waiting for her with open arms, as always, to start with our delicious caresses. But because of the girl's presence I had to forget about my sexual marathon... and do you know what happened?" She asked rhetorically.

"Eh... did you get your caresses?" Juliana answered with another question, but fearing the answer.

"OF COURSE NOT!... and do you know why?" This time she didn't allow the athlete any time to answer. "Because the first thing Camila said was that she wanted to have a child with me... did you hear that? I'm not even married yet and she's already thinking about children... and this is all thanks to whom?" She looked at her waiting for an answer.

"Me?" She answered doubtingly.

"CORRECT!" The Latina sounded like a gameshow host. "You and that manipulative and cheating blonde who..." Lauren had just realised that Valentina was not there and began to consider the possibility of the crime her fiancée had mentioned earlier. "Speaking of the cheating blonde... Where's Valentina?" She questioned.

"Ehhh... well... Valentina..." Juliana swore she had never in her life suffered so many interrogations.

"SPEAK VALDES!" The Latina pressed.

"Well... she may have... passed out after telling me to come collect Kara," the brunette finally explained, lowering her head.

"Are you telling me that the beast attacked again?" Lauren asked half serious and half smiling.

Juliana nodded again with her head down.

"Are you telling me that you couldn't control your sexual appetite?" She asked again.

The basketball player, with her head even lower, nodded again.

The Latina could hear the evil laugh in her head, 'muahahaha!' "Well..." she made a serious face, "obviously the VPB is going to have to intervene sooner than expected!" She moved away from Juliana and started walking towards the living room.

As soon as the athlete heard the board mentioned, a danger alert rang in her head. "Hey Lolo... Wait!" She followed behind her, "I don't like the board, it scares me a little..." she couldn't finish what she was saying because a miniature kangaroo was now hanging from her shoulders.

"MOMMY!" The little girl greeted enthusiastically.

"Hello little monster!" Juliana started one of her favourite games, shaking her daughter like a rag doll.

Meanwhile Lauren's feelings were conflicting, on one hand she loved to watch Juliana play with her niece, but when she looked at her future wife and saw the 'I WANT A BABY!' look, she knew she had to end this little game between mother and daughter. "OK GOOD, NOW STOP!" She stopped them. "That little demon just had breakfast and if she is sick her mother will kill me!" Any excuse would do.

"I don't think her mother will wake up for another few hours..." Juliana, really needed to learn when to shut up. She didn't earn one but two, murderous looks at the same time.

"Don't tell me that...?" Camila looked at her fiancée.

"Yes Camzi Camz. Here she is..." she pointed to Juliana, "the woman who practically left our friend in a coma!" She accused. "Oh, and that reminds me..." this time she could not, and did not want to, hide her evil smile. "Camz, Kara we have to activate the emergency protocol of the VPB. ASAP!" Juliana swallowed hard.

"When?" Asked the girl.

"We need to discuss it," Lauren explained, grabbing her fiancée by the shoulders.

"Mother can you put me down?" The chairperson of the Valentina Protective Board mode was now activated.

As soon as the basketball player left her on the ground, the girl joined her aunts and the three huddled together holding each other's shoulders, in a circle.

"Hey seriously, you are scaring me!" Juliana tried to get closer to the group.

"If you take another step we will continue to subtract points Valdés!" The vice president told her, sticking her head out of the circle.

"Seriously?" Until now she had only lost points because of the movies. "It was only a couple of DVDs!" She defended herself.

"There were eighty-three Juls, Lolo counted them. And you also lost points for the magazines!" This time Camila stuck her head out to remind the brunette how she had lost points. "And now you will lose points for trying to kill Valen!" She finished.

"I'm pretty sure Valentina will want me to gain points for that!" Juliana tried to reason, as her mind drifted to some of the highlights from the night before.

"And now, because of the perverted face you are making, we're going to deduct more points." Sentenced the lawyer.

"HEY NO!" She tried to defend herself.

"SHHHH!!!" The three silenced her at the same time.

After a few minutes, which the brunette spent walking from one side of the room to the other.

"Okay..." the emergency meeting had ended. "Miss Valdés, can you come over?" Her daughter called her. "Our spokeswoman will tell you what has been decided," she said as the athlete settled onto a chair.

"Juliana Valdés..." Camila read from the page where they had taken notes, "we inform you that on March 30th at 7:00 p.m. you will attend a meeting of the Extraordinary Assembly that will decide your future as the partner of Miss Valentina Carvajal. Needless to say, abstinence..."

"Attendance Camz!" Lauren corrected, much to the relief of the brunette, after her night with Valentina she was going to make sure to erase the word abstinence from her vocabulary.

"Thank you, Vice President Jauregui," she kissed her fiancée quickly. "Needless to say, attendance is mandatory!" She finished.

"Wait a minute..." Juliana had realised something, "March 30th... that's two days before your wedding... that means..." The athlete watched how smiles formed on the faces of all three board members.

"That means that not only the recurring members of the board are going to be present, but also the honourable members like our parents..." she point to Camila and then to herself, "and our friends from high school..."

"And the elevator members!"

"Advisers honey." Lauren was the spell checker for her future wife.

"The advisers," Camila continued.

"Like who?" Juliana asked, at this point she was glad to be sitting or she may have collapsed by now.

"Aunt Eva." Kara informed her, Juliana had not met Valentina's sister yet.

"And my grandmother!" The Latina finished the list.

Juliana's brain was on overdrive. The wedding was three months away. She had three months to come up with a perfect plan, she could change her name, her daughter's, and her girlfriend's and they could run away Thelma and Louise style. Surely there was no way to convince so many people that she was the perfect woman for Valentina. Or maybe there was a solution, she could bribe the president. This surely worked in all governments, it was worth a shot. "Kara honey, I think it's time to go..." she announced, "we could stop for ice cream on the way home? Or call into the toy store to look at the new video games? Or we could go to the music store to get you a new drum cymbal or..."

"Aunt Lolo, what do you call it when someone tries to buy the love of someone important by giving them things?" Asked the little girl, interrupting Juliana.

"Bribery!" Lauren answered, smiling at Juliana, who was sinking deeper and deeper.

"Oh yeah. Well, as president of the Board, I do not accept your bribery!" The girl stated firmly. "But as your daughter I would like an ice cream very much!" She added, grabbing her mother's hand and dragging her to the door. "Goodbye aunts!" Kara shouted.

"Bye Kara, bye Juls. Try not to subtract any more points!" Camila said goodbye with a warning.

"Chau little rat..." Lauren said goodbye to her niece, "and Valdés... as vice president I will be watching you!" Lauren intimidated her. "And by the way... You should wear the shorts more often!" Apparently this official was easier to bribe.

** In Juliana's car on the way back to Valentina's apartment **

"Mommy..." Kara called for her mother's attention.

"What's up kangaroo?" Since they left her aunts' house, Juliana knew that her daughter wanted to ask her something.

"You told me that your mom and dad had an accident and that they went to heaven, you even showed me a photo of them..." she would have to wait and see where the girl was going with this.

"Yeah, that's true," said the brunette.

"But... don't you... don't you have anyone else?" Asked the little girl, almost hesitating to ask the question. When she saw her mother's confused face, she tried to explain a little better. "Someone like my aunts or Grandpa Leon or Grandma Lucia or Aunt Eva..."

Juliana smiled, she was beginning to understand her little girl's intentions. "Do you want to know if I have grandparents or siblings?" The girl nodded. "Well, no, I don't have any of those Pooh bear. My father told me that my grandparents died before he met my Mom and my Mom's parents passed away when I was little, sometimes it's hard for me to remember their faces." Juliana explained. "And I don't have any brothers or sisters," she completed her answer.

"So, you don't have anyone to defend you?" Kara's questions made sense now.

Juliana smiled to answer. "No, but I have you and your mom now... and Hippo One, Two, Three, Four, Five and Six. Not everyone has an army of hippos to defend them!" Commented the athlete, making the little girl smile.

The brunette did not ask about her daughter's interest in her family, she dedicated herself to driving, occasionally glancing sideways at her daughter who was leaning back on the seat, and seemed to be thinking about something.

** Valentina's Apartment - Lunch time **

"Okay. Now we mix the avocado with the tomato and... drum roll please..." Juliana asked Kara who quickly grabbed the fork and spoon to hit them against the kitchen table achieving the desired sound effect they required. "Voila! We have guacamole!" Celebrated the brunette.

The little drummer and her mother had decided to make lunch. Today's theme: Mexico. And because the only Mexican dish Juliana knew how to prepare were tacos, mother and daughter were preparing them with huge hats on their heads.

"What is going on in here? Did I wake up in the wrong country?" Valentina asked from the door, she had actually been watching her daughter and her girlfriend cook for a while. She had become a fan of their interactions.

"Mom!" It was very funny watching Kara run to her mother wearing a hat twice the size of her head. "I tried to wake you up when I got home but it didn't work." The girl explained to her mother. "Mommy Juls said it was better to let you rest so that you could continue playing..."

"KARA HONEY! You need to go wash your hands," the athlete urged her towards the bathroom by giving her a little push towards the hall. "Hey!" She looked for her girlfriend's eyes but was distracted by the marks on her girlfriend's neck. "Valentina I... I..." Juliana gently caressed the blonde's neck, "I'm sorry... I couldn't control myself..." Valentina's mouth on hers made the brunette shut up.

"NEVER, but never apologise for that again, do you hear me?" The blonde sounded quite serious. "Juls... I love you... and making love to you, feeling you inside me is something that I would not change for the world!" She caught her girlfriend's lips again, "I love you!" She repeated looking deeply into those brown eyes that mesmerised her so much.

"Valentina... I want you to promise me that if it ever happens again, you will stop me!" Juliana needed to make sure that her girlfriend was going to stop to her animal instinct. "Promise me," she ordered. "I could never forgive myself if I hurt you," she said lowering her head.

"Baby..." she grabbed her chin and raised her face, "I think you're forgetting that I am a Carvajal..." she answered leaving the brunette puzzled. "And a Carvajal..."

"Is always in control!" Kara added, finishing her mother's sentence when she entered the kitchen.

"Exactly!" She shared a high five with her daughter. "Shall we eat?" And this time it was Valentina who grabbed her chair and put it next to the brunette's. Juliana sat down and Kara easily climbed onto her lap. All three sensed that this was the beginning of something special, they were becoming a family.


	28. 28: The owners

** Valentina's Studio - Monday afternoon **

"Can you tell me where you're going in such a hurry?" As soon as Lauren got to the studio, she ran into Valentina who was already leaving. "Don't tell me you're running away from the sweetie again... Did she chase you here? Do you want me to give you a hand? Because as insatiable as she is, I don't think she can handle two ex-cheerleaders together!" The Latina was ready for action.

Valentina came to a halt as she rolled her eyes at her best friend. "First of all, I would never share Juliana, and second, don't ever challenge her because I assure you that you will lose another bet, and third, no, I'm not running away from her. Kara called me and said she needs to see me at Jess's bar urgently," she explained and started walking towards the exit again.

"Whatever blondie, but I'll go with you, we need to talk about the Victoria's Secret contracts, or have you forgotten that I need to have them ready before the first session on Saturday," she warned.

"Fine, hurry up, we'll talk about it in the car," the photographer wanted to get to the bar as soon as possible. She was worried, Juliana never left her daughter alone.

** Jess's Bar **

The women had to walk two blocks from the parking lot to the bar. "So, did we fulfil all of Sara's whims?" Asked the lawyer, reviewing the final touches of the contracts.

"Yes Lern. I know her. She wants me to react, but I refuse to fight with her." Valentina knew her ex would not be easy to handle.

"Wait until she finds out that you are eating the sweetie!" Said the Latina smiling. "Although she must already know, rumours are everywhere!" Several magazines were already speculating about the romance of the star player and the photographer. "By the way, when do you plan to announce it?" She asked curiously.

"I don't know... we haven't had much time to talk!" Valentina smiled mischievously. "This week is going to be impossible..." her smile was fading. "Juliana is leaving tonight and probably won't be back until Saturday."

"On Saturday you have the..."

"Yes, I know Lolo... the Victoria's Secret session," the blonde knew it was important for her career. "I'll be without my girlfriend for almost a week... it's going to be terrible!" Valentina did not want to admit how challenging it would be to spend so much time without Juliana, if she could, she would have her by her side all the time.

"OMG! Why does she do this to me?" Lauren gestured with her head towards the door of the bar where Juliana was leaning against the wall, wearing jeans ripped at the knees, a black t-shirt, and sunglasses. "Hey you!" She caught the attention of the athlete who had not yet noticed their presence. "Don't you know that sweeties melt in the sun?" She asked, using a tone more seductive than reproachful.

When Juliana noticed who was coming towards her, her eyes had only one destination... Valentina. "I hope not, otherwise I will never be able to take my girlfriend to the beach... Hello Lauren... can you close your eyes for ten seconds?" She asked the Latina.

"Okay, Valdés, but if you're going to touch me, I'll let you know that I don't answer for myself!" She joked.

"Lauren!" Valentina challenged her; Juliana was not going to touch anyone. Only her.

"My God, I'm kidding woman. Okay... ten seconds from NOW!" The Latina closed her eyes.

"Hel..." the blonde wanted to say hello to her girlfriend but Juliana decided to take advantage of her ten seconds in another way. The brunette quickly grabbed her girlfriend and pressed her against the wall of the bar in a passionate kiss showing her exactly how much she had missed her.

"TIME!" Lauren opened her eyes and found the couple who at this moment were a mixture of white arms on one side and brown hands on the other. They were glued to each other. "HEY, I ALREADY CALLED TIME!" Nothing, they continued their passionate embrace. "MY GOD WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET!" No response. "YOU HAVE THREE SECONDS BEFORE I SUBTRACT MORE POINTS!" The speed with which Juliana separated from her girlfriend was impressive, even Usain Bolt would have been impressed.

The brunette moved a little further away from her girlfriend, they both lowered their heads, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry!" They said in unison.

"That's better!" Said Lauren, "I was already wondering how I would get a bucket of cold water to throw over you, it's not that I wasn't enjoying the show because believe me, you two just fulfilled a fantasy of mine, but Camila is not here and it seems unfair that she missed it... do you have something to say?" She asked Valentina, who was standing with her head down and a blushing much more than her girlfriend.

"It wasn't my fault... she attacked me!" Tell-tale alert!

"HEY! And you wonder why your daughter is a treacherous little mouse!" Juliana accused her while Valentina laughed.

"Juliana you can't deny it, you kissed me against my will!" The blonde loved to tease her favourite athlete. And the surprised reaction on brunette's face was truly memorable.

"Is what I'm hearing true Valdés?" Lauren joined in on the joke.

"I'm almost sure that I didn't force your tongue into my mouth!" The brunette defended herself.

"AAAHHH I SEE HOW IT IS!" The lawyer crossed her arms. "The sweetie now boasts about the things she does with her girlfriend." Poor Juliana, she couldn't win.

"But... but... I just..." luckily for Juliana the door of the bar opened revealing a small version of Valentina.

"KARA!" The photographer greeted her daughter and tried to hug her. Her girlfriend's kiss had made her forget all about her daughter's phone call.

The little girl stopped her mother showing her the palm of her hand in the form of 'stop.' "Mother, you are expected inside the bar in ten minutes," and without saying anything else the girl closed the door leaving the three adults staring at each other with their mouths open. Seconds later the door reopened and the little girl came out to add, "And you have to come in alone!" She gave a warning look to Juliana and her aunt before disappearing again.

"Was she talking to me?" Valentina asked. She was not used to such serious treatment from her daughter. "Stop laughing and explain to me what happened!" She demanded.

Juliana covered her mouth with her hand trying to stop her laughter. "I don't know!" She shrugged. "They wouldn't let me into the bar, that's why I'm out here."

"They wouldn't let you. They? As in more than one?" the brunette nodded. "Who else is inside?" Valentina feared the worst.

"Well, Kara asked me to bring Nikki and Coach Robbins," she told her. "And I imagine Jess is there too," she supposed. From the questions her daughter had asked her in the car, Juliana imagined that her little kangaroo was trying to defend her.

"Lolo you have to come in with me!" Begged the frightened blonde. "You're my lawyer!" She insisted.

"HEY! NO, that's not fair! I had to do it alone!" Juliana was not going to tolerate injustice.

"But you are super woman, you have an abdomen of steel..." the blonde touched her girl's belly, "and some impressive muscles..." she touched her arms, "an ass of the gods..." this time she had to grit her teeth because if she touched her this time the perverted Lauren would do much more than look, "and hands capable of so many things!" Valentina was getting lost in her own daydream.

"And my mouth?" To make matters worse Juliana was joining her dream.

"Remind me?" Asked the photographer who was millimetres from quenching her thirst when she was interrupted.

"Apparently punctuality is not your thing mother. I said ten minutes. You have to come in now!" The junior Carvajal had learnt many new words with her new mothers daily reading routine.

"I demand that my lawyer be present!" Valentina asked, pointing to the Latina.

"Coward!" Juliana whispered under her breath, earning a murderous look.

"I have to consult the team. One second..." Kara retired.

"LOLO! What I do? WHAT I DO?" The blonde was shaking her friend by the shoulders.

"Listen Valentina. Relax. Do not speak unless I tell you to and do not look them in the eye!" Lawyer mode activated.

"Your request was accepted..." Kara informed them a few minutes later, "you can both come in."

The Latina and the photographer entered the bar. They noticed the usual customers were dotted around the room sitting at various tables, but in one corner the girls could see the coach, the substitute player, and the bartender.

"Take a seat please..." asked Kara pointing to two chairs in front of the small group. "Jess you can start."

"Miss Carvajal, from now on we will be known as 'Juliana's angel's', we required your presence here today as we need to gather some information to ascertain your intentions towards our 'Charlie'," apparently Kara had gathered all the people she considered closest to her mother.

Valentina and Lauren looked at each other. The blonde nodded. "My client is willing to cooperate in any way she can," said the blonde's lawyer.

"Miss Carvajal..." Arizona began the round of questions. "I do not need to stress how important Juliana is to me, without her, this season would have ended with my dismissal!" They all agreed on that. "But things are going to get more difficult, even more so if we get to the playoffs."

Valentina whispered something to the Latina's ear. "My client doesn't understand what she has to do with that. She understands and supports and Juliana's career," assured the lawyer.

"What I really want to ask is if you are willing to give up physical pleasures when it is necessary for my player to be one hundred percent concentrated?" It was clear that when they entered playoffs, Juliana would have to try even harder than usual.

"How much time are we talking about?" Lauren asked.

"About a month," Arizona said.

"WHAT?" Valentina could not stand the silence; they were talking about a month without being able to touch her girlfriend. The angels shared a few looks before each one wrote in their notebook.

"VALENTINA. I TOLD YOU NOT TO TALK WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!!" Lauren challenged her.

"My turn..." Nikki snapped. "A secret agent informed us that you work with very pretty ladies who are generally in very little clothing, is this right?" She wanted confirmation.

Valentina looked at her daughter and muttered something like "treacherous rat!"

"That is true..." confirmed the lawyer, "but it is my client's job to take photographs, I don't see why that could be a problem."

"No. Not a problem no, I just want to know how someone gets invited to the Victoria's Secret photo shoot? Adriana Lima is a Goddess!"

"NIKKI!" The other 'angels' challenged her.

"My client insists on inviting you to the session next Saturday." Valentina said something in her friend's ear. "Oh, and you may also be interested to know, Miss Lima will take some very interesting photos covered only in body paint! Which I myself, as the company lawyer, will go to witness." Pure bribery.

"MY VOTE IS IN FAVOUR OF VALENTINA CARVAJAL!" The substitute rushed to say.

"Miss Carvajal..." it was the waitress' turn, "despite the reprehensible act you have just committed..." she was referring to bribery. "I look at your face and I can't help asking... What skin cream do you use because your skin looks like porcelain?"

"JESS!" Little Kara was becoming frustrated. The group was going off script.

Lauren and Valentina debated. "Tomorrow morning a box of various creams will arrive, provided we have your vote?" The lawyer winked.

"MY VOTE IS POSITIVE!" She raised her hand. The ex-cheerleaders were smiling. This was easier than they thought.

"ENOUGH!" But they had not counted on the fury of the little kangaroo. "Enough of this nonsense!" Sentenced the little girl. "Mom..." she looked at Valentina, "this is important, Mommy Juls has no one to defend her. She doesn't have my aunts like you, or parents, or anyone else." Kara explained sadly making the others bow their heads ashamed of her behaviour. "And I want you to promise me that you will defend her. And since she does not receive much affection, you have to give her affection, take care of her, give her kisses and love her enough..." she tried to think, "well, enough to make up for all the people she lacks, but I am going to help you!" Kara was holding back tears just like her mother.

"Valentina..." Jess was talking again, "A lot of guys come into this bar, you know? One night one of them kept harassing me and do you know who helped me?" She asked without waiting for an answer, "Juliana. She has a huge heart... take care of her please!" She asked.

"When the captain treated me like a failure, Juliana defended me." Nikki started to speak, "If you do something to her, you will have the whole city against you. That brunette has won the hearts of the people," added the athlete.

"The sweetie gets under your skin," Lauren had abandoned her role as lawyer, feeling emotional after her niece's speech.

"Hey..." Valentina caught their attention, "All my life I believed that happiness like the one we see in movies didn't exist, I mean nobody really believes it, do they? But when I look at that brunette, I do believe it. She makes me happy. She makes me feel loved and above all she lets me love her!" She clarified. "Kara..." she bent down to her daughter's height, "not only am I going to defend, love, pamper and care for her and make up for all the people she doesn't have, but I will love her every day of my life as if it were the last. I promise you..." she assured her daughter, "from mother to daughter, from senior kangaroo to junior kangaroo!" She imitated Juliana making the girl smile.

"GOD CARVAJAL YOU HAVE MY VOTE!" Arizona said.

"And mine mom!" Kara told her and then hugged her, "Aunt Lolo is crying," she whispered in her mother's ear.

"I know honey. She's a big softie!" Laughed Valentina.

** Valentina's Apartment - Three Days Later **

They were all in the living room prepared to watch Juliana's game. The brunette had played a spectacular game against Phoenix on Tuesday but this game against Los Angeles would be their most difficult, according to Arizona. The blonde had talked for half an hour with her girlfriend to wish her luck among other things, and if Kara hadn't arrived to interfere, Juliana would already know the colour of Valentina's underwear.

"I can't believe we went to Miami for two weeks and have come home to a sweet, smiling Valentina Carvajal who is less idiotic than usual!" Shane said.

"It's love! Right Lolo?" Asked the dancer approaching her girlfriend to kiss her.

"True Camzi Camz," agreed the Latina.

"Well after watching how Camila dominated our Satan for years. I believe anything is possible!" Derek said.

"Be careful what you say Gray..." Lauren warned, "I am NOT the one who has to ask her girlfriend for permission to even play a game!" Attacked the lawyer.

"I don't have to..."

"SHHHHH! Let me listen..." Valentina asked straining to hear Kara's conversation with her other mother.

Lauren stood up and approached the blonde. "Are they fighting?" She asked surprised. It was the first time that had ever happened.

"It sounds like it..." answered the distressed photographer, "I think Kara is upset because Juliana is so far away. Yesterday she didn't even want to play the drums." Which was unusual for the little girl.

"Just Kara?" They all answered together.

"Well yesterday you yelled at the cashier at the supermarket just because she had no coins!" Camila had to calm the poor employee.

"On Tuesday night we had to wrestle your cell phone out of your hands because Juliana signed a fan's chest after the game! You wanted to call a colleague in Phoenix to get a photo of the fan so you could chase and torture her because she had the nerve to touch your girl! I still have the marks from your nails!" Sam indicated to his arms, he had been charge of taking the phone from Valentina.

"And this morning more than one of your employees begged for the return of the sweetie." Lauren added.

"It wasn't that bad!" She defended herself.

"V, you literally told an intern that if he made another mistake, you were going to make sure he ended up working in a Kodak store in Antarctica!" The Latina had actually enjoyed the young man's panicked face.

"OKAY, FINE... I understand," she lowered her voice before her daughter realised, they were listening.

"Here she comes... here she comes!" Said the lawyer quickly, gesturing towards the little girl who had now cut the call.

"Kara honey, the game is about to start..."

"I DON'T WANT TO WATCH IT!" She cut her mother off and ran quickly to her room.

Valentina followed Kara and entered the room behind her. "What's up kangaroo?" Asked her mother.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Valentina rolled her eyes. The nickname was 'forbidden' for anyone other than Juliana. "Tell me what happened?" She asked again.

"I want mom to come back... NOW!" The little girl said without hesitation and threw herself on her bed face down.

"Hey..." the blonde stroked her daughter's back, "You know she can't leave the team. Believe me, I miss her a lot too, but that's her job, honey," she tried to explain to her daughter.

"I DON'T CARE!" Patience was not something she had not learnt yet.

"Juliana loves you," she told her daughter.

"LIES! IF SHE LOVED ME, SHE WOULD COME!" The little girl's attitude could not be changed. "I want to be alone," she told her mother.

"Are you not going to watch the game with us?" Kara never missed her mother's games, and she had been looking forward this one in particular.

"No!" She answered and turned her back to her mother.

Valentina left her daughter's room worried and returned to the living room. The game had already started.

~~~~~~

\- "SHE MISSED AGAIN!" Derek was suffering with Liberty's defeat. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HER?" After that last shot the team went to rest, Juliana had not even managed to score five points.

"V, I told you a thousand times that phone sex before the game was forbidden! Look at her, she's exhausted!" Lauren blamed her friend for Juliana's poor performance.

"It's not exhaustion Lolo..." Valentina knew that expression. Her daughter had the same one, "it's something else. It's Kara!" The blonde didn't like seeing her two favourite girls suffer.

"I don't think even Juliana can rescue the game this time, they are fifteen points down." Sam enjoyed watching Derek and Lauren suffer, but he did not like to see any of his friends in bad shape.

"How are they doing?" Kara couldn't hold back anymore; she heard the screaming and came out to investigate.

"Down by fifteen and it's Juliana's worst game of the season!" Sam told her.

The little girl climbed on top of her mother. "Is it my fault, mom?" She asked snuggling into her.

"No honey, it's not your fault. She must be tired!" Valentina lied; she knew Juliana was upset after the conversation with her daughter.

"No, it's your fault V!" The Latina accused again. "From now on you are forbidden to call her before a game!" She hated seeing her favourite team lose.

"Look! They are coming back on to the court!" Shane announced when the television focused on the players.

"Where is the sweetie?" Usually, the brunette was the first.

"SHHH! They are talking about her..." Derek raised the volume on the TV so they could hear the voice of the commentators.

**_'According to reports, the Liberty star Juliana Valdes had to be separated from her team captain, Torres. It seems that they could not bear the pressure of defeat and after a strong discussion they came to blows... '_ **

"DID HE SAY BLOWS?" Valentina set her daughter to one side and stood staring at the TV. "WHERE IS MY GIRLFRIEND?" She yelled.

"Relax Valentina..." Camila tried to calm her, "she'll be out soon," she looked at her fiancée who smiled, but she was just as worried.

"MAMI!" The little girl pointed to the TV. Juliana appeared in one corner of the screen. The entire Los Angeles stadium was booing her.

"Oh my God! Not that eye again!" The camera focused on her girlfriend's injured face. Nikki was walking beside her trying to calm her down. "FOR FUCK SAKE JULIANA!" The blonde screamed frustrated.

"Mommy I want to talk to her!" Kara said suddenly.

"What?" They all asked surprised.

"Honey, it's not really the best time to..."

"If you don't help me, I'll do it by myself. Please mommy!" Begged the mini blonde, "I need to talk to her!" She resorted to her deadly pouts.

"She won't have her cell phone." Kara had convinced her but Valentina knew Juliana would not have her cell phone with her.

"Let's call the coach!" A genius idea from the little girl. "I've seen her use them in other games!" She observed.

Valentina looked at her friends, they all looked at her expectantly. "Okay, okay but if she doesn't answer the first time we won't insist!" She warned them as she grabbed her cell phone and looked for the contact before pressing the call button.

Meanwhile the game had started again, with Juliana and the captain on the bench. Suddenly the television focused on Arizona Robbins answering her cell phone.

"CARVAJAL, IN CASE YOU DON'T KNOW, I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF A GAME AND WE ARE GETTING OUR ASSES KICKED! AND TO TOP IT OFF, YOUR GIRLFRIEND DECIDED TO PLAY ROCKY WITH MY CAPTAIN!" Obviously, it was not the best time to call.

"I know Arizona, I know, but it is important that I speak to Juliana. Please, just for a minute!" She pleaded.

"YOU WANT TO TALK TO JULIANA? ARE YOU CRAZY? OR DO YOU WANT THE MEDIA TO DESTROY ME? NIKKI FEEL FREE TO START MAKING SOME SHOTS!" The coach directed her players while speaking on the phone.

"Arizona! Do you want to win the game or not?" Asked Valentina.

"I HATE WHEN YOU ARE RIGHT. VALDES!" She called the player, "YOU HAVE A PHONE CALL!"

"Hello?" Juliana could not imagine who would be calling her in the middle of a match.

"Mommy!" Kara's little voice lit up the brunette's face. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything bad. I do not regret that you are my mother!" Kara watched her mother raise her eyebrows in a reproachful gesture. "I just said it to get some attention, I actually wanted to tell you that I love you and I miss you a lot. I love that you are my mom and I'm really sorry!" The girl apologised again.

On the other end of the phone Juliana could not hold back the tears. "I love you too daughter," was all her tears allowed her to say.

"Mom and I want you to win the game for us. Can you?" Valentina stole the phone from her little girl.

"Love. Get back on that court and kick some ass!" Valentina encouraged. "Your daughter and I will be here waiting for you when you get home. I love you." Valentina told her

"WE ALL LOVE YOU!!" Yelled the rest of the group.

Juliana smiled, "I love you too!" Answered the brunette. "I'll win the game and then I'll call you right back!" She cut the call and looked at Arizona.

"COACH, I WANT BACK IN THE GAME NOW!" Demanded the player.

"GOD VALDES! What are you waiting for? ASK FOR THE CHANGE!"

~~~~~~

**_"Ladies and gentlemen, I have the pleasure of interviewing the player of the night... JULIANA VALDES!_ **

The journalist had stopped the athlete to give her the final interview.

**_"Juliana... What a game! Twenty-nine points in the last twenty minutes to tie the game. Then a further ten points in overtime to lead your team to victory!"_ **

The woman seemed more enthusiastic than the player herself.

**_"What made the difference?"_ **

Asked the reporter.

Valentina and the rest of the group watched the interview attentive to Juliana's responses. Although she was still worried about her girlfriend's black eye.

The brunette smiled at the camera making the spectators melt.

"Thank you. Thankfully, I have my angels in New York to look after me. They made the difference."

She smiled into the camera again.

**_"Juliana, I have to ask. There are thousands of people on twitter wanting to know if the rumours are true._ **   
**_Does Juliana Valdés have an owner?"_ **

She asked as if thousands of lives depended on the answer. Juliana smiled lowering her head and then raised it to stare at the journalist before answering...

**_"Juliana Valdés has two owners! Valentina Carvajal and my daughter Kara, they are the two loves of my life."_ **   
  



	29. 29: Someone stop her!

** Valentina's Apartment - Friday evening **

Valentina and Kara had finally arrived at the door of their apartment after a very long day. Little Kara had endured the harassment of her friends all morning and try as she might... she couldn't keep everyone happy. When she sat with Luke, or talked with Mara, or if she gave Bella a chocolate someone would be upset. The truth is that after putting Juliana lessons into practice, the girl had been inundated with jealous girlfriends and boyfriends. Added to this was teacher Kim's excessive interest in her mother, who more than once insisted the girl invite her mother to teach another class.

Valentina on the other hand, not only had to make sure that everything was perfect for the next day's photo session, but she had to dodge the hundreds of journalists camping out at the door of her studio. There was also the fact that both Lauren and Inés had spent the whole day answering and diverting calls from people interested in interviewing the new celebrity couple.

Needless to say, both Carvajal's suffered from acute Julianitis. After the problems with the phone line, they were unable to talk to the brunette after the game, and then Valentina had to sit her daughter down and scold her for playing with Juliana's feelings. She had to make it very clear to Kara that she could not accept her as a mother one day and reject her the next, which made the little girl feel even worse. After all this, it could be concluded that the Carvajal's humour was at an all-time low.

"Kara, go to your room and change, I'll prepare your dinner." Valentina instructed her daughter with a soft and tired voice as she opened the door of the apartment and ushered the little girl in first.

"Mommy..." Kara had stopped. She was barely two steps into the living room when she saw two huge boxes, one next to the other, each wrapped in gift paper with giant bows. One of the boxes said ' _Kangaroo_ ' and had several little holes in the lid. And on the other, there was a small tag with ' _Queen_ ' written on it.

Mother and daughter looked at each other. From the names written on the gifts, they could only be from one person. Suddenly Kara's gift moved and a faint bark could be heard. Valentina couldn't help but smile when her daughter grabbed her hand fearfully. "Honey, why don't you open it and see what it is?" - the blonde had already guessed.

"Can I?" Kara was still unsure about the situation with her mother.

"Of course. Come on... open it," her mother encouraged her. Honestly Valentina was afraid the dog would suffocate in the box if it was left much longer.

The little girl wasted no more time. She pounced on the package. She pulled the lid off and within seconds she had a Beagle puppy in her hands. "A PUPPY!" The puppy with white legs, black back, and the rest brown, looked at its new owners expectantly.

"She has a note on her collar," said the blonde who at this moment hadn't decided if she was going to kill Juliana for this or love her even more.

"Let's see..." the girl grabbed the paper laughing because the puppy took the opportunity to lick her hand. "A brunette told me that I can stay with you, is it true? P.S. as long as your mother accepts." Kara immediately looked at her mother putting on a face very similar to the puppy.

The truth is that the older blonde had never even thought of saying no, "Of course she can darling!"

"GOOD!" The mini blonde celebrated by jumping around while the animal barked. “Now it's your turn," she told her mother, pointing to the other gift while trying to avoid the licks the puppy was trying to give her.

Valentina inspected the package; she was afraid the gift might not be suitable for all audiences. She tried to wait until her daughter entertained herself with the animal but instead both the girl and the dog looked at her curiously.

"What are you waiting for mom?" Kara asked anxiously and the dog barked at her.

She couldn't kick her daughter out of the room, right? She went to the package and opened the lid slowly to look inside. "Another box?" She was surprised to see a smaller gift inside. "What are you laughing at?" She asked her daughter.

"I bet it's one of those surprises that a smaller and smaller box comes out of," she had obviously seen that on television.

Juliana wouldn't do that to her right? Wrong! Tired of her game, Valentina ripped the package. "OH MY GOD!" Valentina was speechless.

"Mom, isn't that the camera you wanted?" Kara was right, Valentina had been trying to get that model for months.

"How... how did she know?" The blonde did not remember mentioning it.

"It's always easier when you pay attention to your girlfriend!" Juliana appeared in the room.

"MOMMY!" The jump of the kangaroo and the dog was coming. Luckily Juliana was quite agile and managed to catch both creatures easily.

"Look at you kangaroo, now you have a mini kangaroo by your side!" The brunette said trying to hug her daughter. "Did you name her yet?" She asked fearfully, already thinking a number was coming.

"Hmm..." the girl looked at her new toy for a few seconds, "Puppy!" She announced her decision.

"Wow so, puppy in English?" Juliana really needed to start exercising her daughter's imagination.

The girl nodded. "Well then, you and Puppy need to wash your hands while I prepare the milk with choco..." she didn't finish her sentence before the girl ran off with her new pet chasing her.

"Hello," the brunette greeted her girlfriend, who was leaning against one of the walls with her new camera in her hand. It didn't matter how many times she saw her, when she looked into those eyes, she got nervous. "Do you like it?" Valentina did not answer, "Valentina? Talk to me, I want to hear that beautiful voice." Juliana approached slowly.

"Your eye!" Was the only thing she said. She did not like to see her girl hurt.

"I know..." the brunette was inches from her girlfriend. "I couldn't control myself. I was not having a good day and that girl knows exactly what buttons to press!" She explained what happened at halftime and the photographer immediately embraced her girlfriend in a tight hug. "Hey," she stroked Valentina's hair. "Look at me... What's wrong?" Juliana pressed; she knew that the blonde always tried to close herself off. "Didn't you like the gift?" She asked again.

"I loved it!" She mumbled, with her face tucked into the brunette's neck.

"Are you mad about Puppy? Remind me not to let Kara choose the names of our grandchildren, let her husband or wife choose them, because at this rate, heads will roll if she is allowed to name them!"

Juliana thought she felt her girlfriend a laugh and decided to continue. "Excuse me Miss, have you seen a beautiful woman around here?" The brunette lowered her hands to her girl's ribs and began to gently tickle her. "No? Well, if you see her, can you tell her that her girlfriend is desperate to give her a big kiss because she never thought it would be so difficult to be away from her. And although she loves to play basketball, for the first time in her life she thought about quitting so she could be next to her," the athlete felt small kisses on her neck. "And if you have time, tell her that I love her as no mortal being is capable of loving," as soon as she finished, she gently grabbed her girlfriend by the shoulders. "You know that, right?" She said looking at the blonde, who had now formed the most beautiful pout that Juliana had ever seen.

"My God!... What do you think you are doing to me with that face?" She leaned down and grabbed her girlfriends protruding lower lip with her teeth. When she was sure that her girlfriend was going to deepen the kiss, she pulled back. "Nope! No more kisses until you talk to me and believe me, I'm trying with all my might not to make love to you right now on this table!" She explained.

"It's just that... I missed you so much, my body I missed you so much." She was almost whispering while caressing the athlete’s arms. "My studio door was packed with journalists, Kara was sad about what she had said to you, and... and..." Juliana had endured too much, her girlfriend's mouth looked too appetising to waste it. It was a sin to let that moment pass.

"I love you." Valentina said, separating herself as best she could from the brunette. The separation did not last long because the athlete attacked again, this time her hands accompanied.

"Aunt Lolo says that I always have to wait until you guys are kissing to enter the room," Kara entered the kitchen with Puppy following her. "She said I have to be some kind of blocker." Lauren had spent a whole hour explaining to Kara what her role was and the little girl had managed to do her job by separating her mothers. Valentina bent down to play with the puppy and Juliana went to prepare some food for her daughter. A little distance was not going to hurt them.

"Well, it looks like Aunt Lolo won't be able to attend the Victoria's Secret session tomorrow!" Valentina said to herself.

"What did you say?" Juliana heard Victoria's Secret and session in the same sentence and had to go back.

"If Lauren continues training my daughter to interrupt us, she will not harass my models again!" The photographer repeated. Valentina Carvajal began to dance the tango with her girlfriend's jealousy. "What's up baby?" She asked.

"You... you..." she took a deep breath, "you are taking photos of nude models tomorrow?" She asked.

"Naked? No!" She informed her, "Some in underwear, others in body paint. In fact, Nikki is invited. Adriana Lima has a beautiful session planned, where she will be covered in body paint... Is there a problem?" The blonde innocently watched the basketball player.

"No," she went to the kitchen leaving Valentina talking to the puppy.

"Puppy have you ever seen a jealous woman?" The puppy barked. "No? Well, you are about to meet one!" She said, "Three... two... and..."

"Do they try to hit on you?" The brunette returned and asked quickly.

"The models?" Valentina played dumb and Juliana nodded. "Well actually, that's how I met Sara, she modelled for me." The blonde recalled.

"You did not answer my question!" She pressed.

"Juls, honey... the models always look for something with the photographers, it's normal." The sportswoman was getting a taste of her own medicine. The blonde could hear the grinding of her teeth.

"Mommy," Kara interrupted, "your cell phone is ringing." She said, giving her mother the phone.

The brunette looked at the screen. "I know kangaroo, but it's better to let it ring," she was talking to her daughter, but in her head, she was still focused on the conversation with Valentina.

"Who is it?" Asked the cat killing blonde.

"After the interview on TV last night, it has not stopped ringing, some calls are unknown numbers and others are... well... 'old friends'!" She explained timidly.

"Old friends?" The famous Carvajal eyebrow was raised.

"Evidently, the announcement that I have owners did not silence them," that was the only reason she could think of for her old lovers to start calling her.

The cell phone rang again, but this time Valentina was not going to let it ring, whoever was on the other side was about to get an earful.

"HEY, before you continue to describe the body of MY GIRLFRIEND in such detail, I want to inform you that all those parts now belong to me and that I would think twice before dialling this number again!... Hello?... Hello?... The bitch cut me off!" The blonde did not have time to finish reacting because the cell phone rang again and she rushed to answer it. "Before you start describing the things you want to do to Juliana, let me inform you that this is Valentina Carvajal speaking and you will regret being born if you keep calling my girl... Who?... Juliana..." she called the brunette, "it's Cristina, your manager!" She handed the cell phone over while avoiding any eye contact.

Apparently, Cristina had also been bombarded with offers, she informed Juliana about each of the proposals that had arrived, from interviews to advertisements.

When the athlete finished the phone call, she joined Valentina in the Livingroom. The blonde was playing with the puppy while an exhausted Kara had fallen asleep on the sofa.

"Do you want me to take her to bed?" She asked, already knowing the answer. Her girlfriend nodded.

Juliana lifted her daughter and walked towards the bedroom, Puppy following them. Seemingly the puppy had already chosen her place to sleep.

~~~~~~

"You should have seen how Puppy tried to settle herself in between the hippos, she looked scared, ha, ha... Valentina?... Love, where are you?"

"Did you close the door?" A voice in her ear made a chill run down the brunette's back.

"Ehh... I think so," she answered as best as she could.

"Perfect, because you and I are going to play a game," she announced in that soft, raspy voice that drove the athlete crazy. She ran her two index fingers over her girl's arms.

"A game?" With the lust that Juliana was feeling, she thought she had not heard well.

"A game!" Reaffirmed the blonde. She grabbed her girlfriend's hand and led her to the sofa, "Sit down." Juliana obeyed, she followed Valentina with her eyes until she sat in the chair in front of her. "I ask questions, you answer..." explained the blonde, "if you answer correctly there will be one less garment on my body, if you answer wrong... Well, get used to the couch because you're going to sleep on it!" The rules were simple.

"You had me as soon as you said 'game," the brunette answered excitedly. "Do I have to roll a dice or something?" Maybe she was too excited.

"First question..." she ignored her girlfriend's question. "Have you ever slept with your manager?" Juliana did not see that one coming.

"What kind of question is that?" She answered surprised.

"That answer will not get me naked Juliana!" She advised her girlfriend.

"No!" She shook her head, "Cris is straight. If she had a naked Jennifer Aniston in front of her, she would probably ask her why Friends ended so badly rather than look at her."

Valentina looked straight into the brown eyes; they always told the truth. "Luckily, I already wanted to take off these heels," the blonde took off her shoes one by one trying to be as sexy as possible. She felt her girlfriends gaze follow every movement. "Next question... How many calls have you received between yesterday and today?" She asked as she began to slowly undo the buttons of her shirt.

"Erm..." Juliana gulped. "No... I don't know!" If the brunette had a hard time thinking when Valentina was around, imagine the difficulty she was suffering with this Valentina in front of her.

"I want a number Juliana; a number and I'll release the buttons. I know you can give it to me," the photographer had both hands ready.

"More than... than fifty?" She risked.

"That is not the answer I was looking for!" She began to button her shirt again.

"Wait... Wait... eh, I think it said something like sixty-four missed calls." Juliana was not going to allow that shirt to be closed, she would run the Indiana Jones gauntlet if necessary, but there was no way more buttons would be closed in front of her.

"That's more like it!" Valentina moved so slowly that Juliana had to resist the urge to jump up and rip the damn shirt off her chest. But button by button the blonde said goodbye to the shirt. When she watched how the brunette opened her mouth, the blonde was pleased she had chosen one of her best lingerie sets that morning, apparently the white one drove the athlete crazy. "Relax!" Valentina warned her girlfriend when she saw that she tried to move from the sofa. "The game is not over yet!" She informed her.

"Next question please!" Begged the basketball player. She could feel her wild side coming out.

"Excited?" Joked Valentina. "Did you think of me while you were away?" If that was the question, Juliana had easily secured the next item of clothing.

"Valentina, I can assure you that since I met you, you are all I think about!" Juliana was ready to watch her remove her jeans.

But it was not as easy as it seemed. "I am going to rephrase the question..." she said, "what I wanted to know is if you thought of me SEXUALLY?" The question was exacerbated by the blonde who chose that moment to pass her tongue over her lips, causing more damage to the brunette's underwear.

Juliana could not speak so she just nodded her head in agreement.

"How often?" The idea of her girlfriend touching herself while thinking of her, drove Valentina crazy. No sound came from the brunette so the blonde had to press, she stood up and lowered her hands to the button of her jeans. "How many times?" She asked.

"Evrniht!" The brunette was struggling to form words.

"Sorry, I did not understand that love. You will have to be clearer if you want the jeans to accompany the shirt on the floor."

Juliana lowered her eyes, took a deep breath. "I thought of you every night!" She said confidently while looking her girl in the eye.

Valentina could not help the smile that formed, she unhooked the button, lowered the zipper, and slowly lowered her jeans. "If you get up from the seat you lose the game!" She warned as she finished removing the jeans. She was beginning to fear an onslaught from the beast.

The athlete clung even more to the chair. "How much longer? If I don't survive this, please tell Kara that I loved her!" Juliana was not kidding; she swore that people must feel this way before dying.

Valentina sat back down making sure to keep her legs slightly apart. "Relax. There is only one question left," she informed her.

"The last thing I can do right now is relax, so ask the damn question once and for all woman. This is torture!" Juliana was suffering.

"The next question is..." she put her hands behind her back ready to detach her bra. "What year was Vincent Van Gogh born?" Do they really wonder why Kara is such an imp?

"What? You're joking right?" The athlete did not react well, her girlfriend was sitting in her underwear asking her when a dead fucking painter was born.

"You don't know?" The blonde continued to play.

"Of course not!" Juliana answered irritated, she wanted that bra off as soon as possible. "Move on to the next question," there HAD to be a another one.

"Oops! What a shame because there are no more questions. Looks like you lost the game!" Valentina was playing with fire. She bent down to lift her shirt taking her time to put it back on. She watched the athlete from the corner of her eye and could almost see the steam rising from her head. "Wait here while I bring you the pillow and the blanket," the blonde couldn't hold back the laugh when she saw the brunette's face.

She entered her room and went straight to the closet, but before she could reach it, she was pushed face first against the wall. "You know I don't give a fuck what year that painter was born, right?" Juliana had grabbed her by the waist, and had her chest pressed against the blonde's back.

"It seems you are a bad loser!" The blonde was not finished playing with her girl.

"Do you want to play? Good. Well, I am going to ask you a question... Do you know who is going to make love to you tonight until you say enough?" She took her time leaving kisses all over Valentina's neck while she brought her hands to her girl's breasts.

"You?" Valentina answered breathless.

"CORRECT!" Juliana grabbed both sides of her shirt and tore it open, and the buttons clattered against the wooden floor as they scattered across the room. Valentina had to answer that question several times that night.

** The morning after - Valentina's room **

"Juls... baby... Please stop... I love that you wake up like this but come here." Valentina stopped a new attempt by her girlfriend. "I'm going to be late!" She informed her pulling her up and grabbing her face to kiss her. Juliana tried to intensify the kiss but the photographer could not allow her. "I know what you're trying to do..." she warned, "but you have to let me go!" The blonde tried to get up.

"One more time?" Asked the brunette caressing her girlfriend's stomach.

Valentina removed her hand. "Nope!" She got out of bed, "I'm late..." she said again. "Ines must be going crazy!" It was a very important day in the studio.

The athlete hugged the blonde around the waist, "I don't want you to go!" She pouted. "I don't want you to see any other woman without clothes, especially Adriana Lima! Lauren already told me about your obsession with her in college." The Latina had enjoyed describing in detail how she and Valentina had been crazy about the model.

"Love, I was young, fresh out of the closet and I hung out with Lauren way too much, and it was a long time ago," explained the photographer.

"Why can't we stay here all morning making love?" The brunette did not want models anywhere near her girl.

"First, it's my job and second, I don't want to pass out again!" As much as Valentina loved Juliana's jealousy, she really had to go.

"I'll pay you double what you earn!" She offered without letting her go. On the contrary, she began to kiss her again.

But the photographer shook her head smiling, "Baby, let me go. I'm really late." She insisted, but Juliana held her even tighter. Valentina knew she had to think of something. She looked at the bathroom door... "Okay, let's take a shower together," she said quickly.

"Seriously?" The brunette loosened her arms. She couldn't believe she had won! She allowed herself to be led by the hand to the bathroom. And once she entered...

 ** _BANG!_** The door slammed shut. The brunette was too naïve.

"I'm sorry my love. But I had to do it, you are insatiable!" Valentina informed her prisoner. "Sam will arrive in a few minutes, I call him and tell him to open the door for you. I love you! And remember that Kara is coming with me." Valentina Carvajal left her girlfriend locked up in her bathroom.

"I suppose I deserved that, right?" A defeated Juliana asked herself.

** In the studio - 20 minutes later **

"Wait a second... Did you lock her up?" Lauren couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I had to Lern... if it was up to her, I would still be in bed... EVERYONE TO THEIR PLACES, IN TEN MINUTES WE START!" The Victoria's Secret session was about to start. "Inés, where is my daughter?" She asked her secretary.

"Well, look for yourself..." the secretary pointed to a corner of the studio where there were several models waiting.

"The sweetie may not be her blood mother but every day she gets more like her!" Said the Latina. They were both watching the little girl being pampered by the models.

"Kara honey, can you come here for a second?" Called her mother. The little girl reluctantly came to her mother. "What are you doing?" She asked.

 _"Lesson #33:_ Let yourself be pampered by the pretty girls!" Apparently, Juliana's lessons had not stopped.

"Remind me to kill my girlfriend Lern!" Valentina turned around to look for her friend, "Lolo... Where the hell did she go?" It didn't take long to locate her. The Latina had joined her niece in _lesson #33_.

"Well, if it isn't the new girlfriend of Liberty's star player!" A voice prevented Valentina from going to look for her daughter.

"Sara... how are you?"

** Meanwhile in Valentina's apartment **

"Juliana?" Sam arrived to release the basketball player.

"I'm in here. Could you pass me the clothes that Valentina left on the bed," the brunette had taken advantage of the confinement to bathe.

A few seconds later Juliana was free and ready to go out to do her daily jog, but this time she would be accompanied by Puppy. "Thanks for coming Sam," she said.

"No problem. I would also be jealous if Shane had to spend the entire day surrounded by models!" Male in his case. "Even worse, because Valentina has to see them naked, or covered paint and she has to help them get dressed. Not to mention that one of them is her ex-girlfriend!" Sam wasn't reassuring Juliana at all. "At least with Sara she will be surrounded by people, but with Adriana Lima..."

"What about her?" She asked while holding her breath.

"Well, she has a private session. She is a megastar and always demands that she and the photographer are alone... Didn't Valentina tell you?" From Juliana's expression the Ken doll realised he had messed up.

"THE KEYS TO MY CAR NOW?! The beast had woken up. The brunette ran to the living room in search of her keys, but Sam managed to arrive faster because Juliana had to jump over Puppy, who was happily bounding out of Kara's bedroom.

"SAM GIVE ME THE KEYS!" She demanded.

"Juliana... calm down... it's nothing out of the ordinary. Valentina always does private sessions." This guy didn't know when to shut up. "I mean it's not the first time she's done it. She is very professional," he clarified.

"GIVE ME THE KEYS!" She stressed every word. "VALENTINA IS NOT GOING TO BE ALONE WITH THAT WOMAN!" Next to an angry and jealous Juliana the incredible Hulk looked pale.

"I'm not going to give them to you," said the man while locking the door.

"PUPPY ATTACK!" She did not know how, but the puppy understood and went straight to bite Sam's shoes. Juliana took advantage of the distraction and slipped through the door. She had no keys, so she did what she does best... run.

"JULIANA... JULIANA!" He called her without result. The blonde grabbed his cell phone, "Answer Lauren... Answer!"

"What the hell do you want gay Barbie? If you called just to interrupt my breast signature, I swear that..."

"Juliana is on her way to the studio. You have to stop her!" This was turning into a cop show.

"You were only supposed to let her out of the bathroom!" This was taking away the precious time she could spend with the models.

"I may have accidentally mentioned the private session with Adriana Lima!" He confessed.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE YOU STUPID BLONDE!! VALENTINA SAID A THOUSAND TIMES THAT WE WERE NOT TO MENTION THAT! NOW WHO WILL STOP THE BEAST?" Lauren cut him off, she could not let Juliana interrupt the session. She had to think of something fast.


	30. 30: Lost in you

** Photography Studio - Victoria's Secret Session **

"Sara, how are you?" Valentina was not surprised to see her ex-girlfriend.

"Good, although not as good as you, apparently!" Valentina knew she would have to endure attacks from the model. "You really got her, you got yourself a golden ticket," she tried to provoke her ex by referring to Juliana.

"Not everything in life is about money Sara!" She stopped. "Look... I know things did not turn out the way you wanted, but I hope we can work together without any problems. You demanded things not even Adriana Lima asked for and as a good gesture I gave them to you. I just want these photos to turn out well!" The blonde raised the white flag, she couldn't let her ex ruin the shoot.

"Hey, I just wanted to say hello..." she defended herself, "after all we had a good time together, didn't we?" Sara tried to grab the photographer's hand but Valentina managed to avoid it in time. "I also wanted you to know that when she leaves you..." she approached her ear, "I will be waiting for you!" She whispered before walking away.

"Not in your dreams Sara, not in your fucking dreams!" Valentina repeated softly. "OKAY GOOD, ARE WE READY?" She asked her team. "Perfect!... Channel you are first. You know what to do." she indicated to one of the girls.

** Meanwhile at the other end of the studio **

"Camz, honey, where are you?" Lauren needed reinforcements to stop Juliana.

"Lolo! Has it already started? I am with Derek, we're only a block away from the studio." All of Valentina's friends had been invited to the event, some to look at women, others for fashion.

"Love, we have a problem. Juliana found out about Adriana Lima and is on her way to the studio, we need to try and stop her and..."

"Has Adriana Lima arrived? Remember you have to get her signature this time Lolo!" Camila reminded her, she still had not realised the urgency of the situation.

"I know love, I know, but we can't let Juliana interrupt the session, so we need to do the following..." the Latina had a plan, "I just spoke with Mariana, she and Shane are at the corner to try to stop her first. You and Derek need to stay at the door of the building and wait for her. If she comes, you must try to stop her, in any way you see fit, do you understand honey?" Lauren knew the dancer struggled with the instructions.

"Stop Juliana. Understood. You know I love it when you play Sergeant Lolo, maybe tonight we should use the handcuffs!" Concentration was not Mila's thing.

The lawyer could hear Derek in the background warning her fiancée, "You know there is some information that I do not need to hear?!"

"Okay love. I'm going to go find Nikki and Kara just in case we need backup. If anything happens, you call me, okay?" The perimeter seemed to be protected. "And Camila, if you have to use force, you use it, I want the target neutralised as soon as possible!" Anything to get their autographs.

"Use force. Understood. Lip and beast." Pocket translator please.

"Over and out Camz!" She corrected.

"That! I love you Lolo," she cut the call.

"Good!" Lauren relaxed. "The perimeter is already covered; I just need to secure the inside. Where is the little mouse?" She scanned the room trying to locate Kara. "If she's anything like her mother, she likes breasts and is probably in the dressing room," with this last thought she went in search of the little girl.

** At the corner Shane and Mariana were guarding **

"How the hell does Lauren expect us to recognise Juliana among all these people?" Shane wondered. Saturdays were not exactly quiet in New York.

"If your boyfriend had not opened his big mouth, we would be relaxing in the studio now while getting the inside scoop on this seasons underwear line!" Mariana complained.

"It's Valentina's fault, if she hadn't locked the beast in the bathroom, Sam wouldn't have had to go to get her out!" The singer defended her boyfriend.

"Hey..." Mariana came up with a question to pass the time, "If you had to spend a night with one of our four friends, which one would you choose?" She asked curiously.

"Hmm..." Shane thought, "Lauren is very aggressive, Camila is perverted... and I think from the 'Juliantina' couple, I'd go with... Juliana, but only to find out what all the hype is about, you know? And you?" She returned the question.

"Mine would be between Val and Mila. Probably Valentina... I still have the image of her in high school, wearing that cheerleading uniform dancing around in my head." She smirked while elbowing her friend.

The two women were too busy laughing that neither noticed the brunette run past while muttering, "You're going to die Adriana Lima... you are going to die!"

Juliana had easily surpassed Lauren's first level of defence.

** In the studio **

"INES!" Valentina needed her assistant and could not find her anywhere. "YOU!" She called one of the interns who began to tremble when he saw his angry boss. "Go tell the next model I am ready for her," the boy headed towards the dressing room while Valentina went to find her secretary. She found her whispering to Lauren, her daughter, and Nikki. "INES!" The woman jumped in surprise, "I need you on the set, not standing here chatting with my daughter and friends." When she noticed the expressions on their faces, she realised that something was going on. "Is something wrong?" She asked.

"No, nothing V!" Lauren rushed to answer, "We are doing rock, paper, scissors to see who gets to ask for the autograph first!" The Latina invented a story quickly.

"Stop the bullshit please!" Asked Valentina. "Kara do you know anything about your mother?" Valentina had been unable to relax since she left Juliana locked up. She was surprised she hadn't even received a text from the brunette.

"Eh..." The girl looked at her aunt for help, she couldn't tell her mother that her other mother was on her way to the studio, wanting to kill a few of her models.

"Valentina!" Sara interrupted the conversation.

"But look who we have here..." it was the first time that Lauren had seen her friend's ex. "I thought vampires hunted at night!"

"And I thought whores like you ended up on their knees in front of a different guy every night, however I was wrong... it's in front of a different SKANK every night!" She scoffed.

"HEY! I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE, BUT YOU NEED TO WATCH WHAT YOU SAY!" Nikki defended the Latina.

Sara looked at the substitute player from head to toe condescendingly. "At least when you were with me the guests were of a higher standard Valentina, now you have to settle for medium rate basketball players!" She provoked.

"DON'T MESS WITH NIKKI!" The kangaroo was on the attack.

"CAN WE ALL CALM DOWN PLEASE!" Asked the owner of the studio. "You three are going to the designated area for visitors right now," she indicated to the non-employees. "Ines... go with Sara to see what she needs and..."

"I want to talk to you about my wardrobe," informed the model.

"Ines can fix it." Valentina told her.

"Either I speak with you or no one!" She persisted.

"FINE!" The blonde yielded. "Ines go prepare Sara's Set and tell Adriana that I will take the group photo before I start with her," she said. "Come on!" She ordered the model, directing a glance at her daughter and friends. It was not a murderous look but a look that let them know she was suspicious.

** At the door guarded by Derek and Camila **

"And this is the Fouetté twist." Camila was teaching her dance steps to Derek who was not really paying attention. "Lolo says that the names are very complicated, she prefers something simpler like the names of our sexual positions like..."

"It's her!" Derek spotted Juliana making her way through the crowd to get to the door of the building. She had a determined look on her face. "Whoa, whoa! Where are you going brunette?" He stopped her.

"JULS!" Camila hugged her from behind. "We were waiting for you."

"YES, it is very nice to see you too but I have to go," she tried to pass but the two dancers blocked her way. Juliana looked at them. "If you don't move, I cannot get past," she explained softly.

"Lolo says you can't go up!" Camila quickly admitted.

"Well, I don't care what 'Lolo' says... I'm going up!" She tried to get through, but again collided with her friends.

"Juliana, whatever Sam told you about Adriana Lima... ignore it, he doesn't know what he's talking about!" Derek tried to calm the athlete. "We will let you go up whenever we see that you have calmed down, but right now you seem more desperate than Wile E. Coyote trying to catch the roadrunner!" That was a lie. They had express orders not to let Juliana up.

"Yes Juls..." Camila came out to support Derek. "Lern and I were in love with her for a long time too, but we..." Camila had to say the wrong thing. Derek clutched his head.

"What did you say?" Juliana asked enraged and ready to explode into the human torch from the Fantastic Four.

The dancer was going to speak again but Derek interrupted her. "Nothing... Camila just meant that she, Lauren and Valentina admired her for her work nothing else!" He clarified.

"YES!" Agreed the dancer. "That's why every year we organised a special party for the Victoria's Secret fashion show. This year you are invited, Valentina can lend you the t-shirt she has with Adriana's face..."

"CAMILA!" Derek stopped her by covering her mouth. "You're not helping! Look at her..." he pointed to Juliana, "she looks like she's going to explode!" Which wasn't far from reality.

"DEREK!" Shane and Mariana appeared on the scene. "We have been waiting for hours and Juliana has not appeared... JULIANA? How did you get past us?" Mariana asked as soon as she saw the brunette.

"Wait until Lauren finds out that you failed your mission!" Said the man.

"And who is going to tell her?" The singer defended herself. "You and your big mouth?" She attacked.

"Speaking of mouth... Where is your boyfriend? Because I don't see him here helping, since he was the cause of all this!" Shane was about to defend her boyfriend...

"Guys..." Camila tried to get the attention of her three friends but they were too absorbed in their heated discussion. "Guys..." she tried again.

"Can you wait a minute Camila?" Shane asked.

"Wasn't the mission to stop Juliana?" Asked the dancer.

"Yes!" Derek replied but was still involved in the argument.

"Well, it looks like we all failed!" She informed them.

The three fell silent and turned at the same time... Juliana was gone.

** In the studio **

"Okay Sara, what is the problem with the clothes? This was already defined in the contract." Valentina entered the model's dressing room.

"There is no problem with the clothes," she said closing the door.

"So, what is the problem? I remind you that I have a photo session to do!" She informed her.

"Valentina stop pretending!" The redhead slowly approached the photographer. "You can't have stopped feeling things for me so quickly," some women do not accept defeat.

"Sara... do not say anymore!" Valentina warned, pulling back.

"I know you want it as much as I do," she insisted, moving even closer. "Or have you forgotten how much fun we had in bed?" She asked, Valentina extended her arms towards the model keeping her at a distance.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I'M HEARING!" The blonde thought her ex had gone crazy. "You and I barely touched each other. What we did can barely even be called sex Sara! Our relationship ended. It is time for you to accept it once and for all. I am in love with Juliana. UNDERSTAND THAT!" The blonde had to use all her strength to move the model and get to the door. "If you are not on the set in five minutes, don't even bother to show up. I will speak to your representative myself!" She said as she left the dressing room.

Meanwhile, a nervous Lauren was pacing from one side of the room to the other when she received a phone call from her girlfriend. "Tell me love... WHAT? HOW DID SHE GET PAST ALL OF YOU?" Bad news for Lauren. "YOU ARE ALL USELESS... No love I forgive you, you are not useless." _Wapeesh!_ Lauren was definitely whipped! "BUT TELL THE TWO CHINESE AND THE OPERA SINGER THAT THEY ARE USELESS!" She cut the call, "Juliana is on her way up!" She informed Nikki and her niece. "You two go to the stairs, I'll guard the elevators!" She said.

The girl and the player followed the Latinas orders and began to descend the steps, when they reached the third floor they collided with the brunette.

"MOMMY!"

"JULIANA!" They both shouted at the same time as Juliana passed them quickly.

"We'll talk later kangaroo," she said, but she didn't get much further because Nikki had literally tackled her, causing the brunette to fall to the floor. "LET GO NIKKI!" She ordered.

"I'm sorry Juls," the player apologised. "We have express orders not to let you go," she said as she climbed on to her back. "I gotta tell you though, I've always imagined what it would be like to have you under me!" She joked.

"Pooh Bear... help!" She pleaded with her daughter.

"I'm sorry mommy..." it hurt the little girl to see her mother defeated, "but Aunt Lolo says that if we don't stop you, you're going to stop mom working."

Whoever believed 'the beast' would be stopped by a woman and a little girl was very wrong! The brunette did not spend two hours a day in the gym for nothing. She took a deep breath and with all her strength, got up from the ground, with Nikki still glued to her back.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, WOMAN? KARA DO SOMETHING!" The substitute yelled at the girl from her teammates back. Little Kara threw herself at her mother's feet making her stagger, but Juliana did not stop her march. She continued up the stairs with Nikki hanging from her neck and her daughter wrapped around one of her legs.

"I must... get to... Valentina..." Juliana's muttering was all that could be heard.

~~~~~~

"Lolo!" Camila and the others exited the elevator and joined Lauren.

"Did you stop her?" Derek asked.

"Well, she didn't arrive by elevator, so Nikki and Kara must have intercepted her on the stairs. I can't believe a person and a half have been more effective than the four of you!" Screams from the stairwell caught the groups attention.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Lauren yelled when she saw Juliana appear, carrying Nikki on her back and Kara clinging to her leg.

"CAN YOU HELP US? SHE IS UNSTOPPABLE!" Nikki begged from above Juliana.

"Valentina... Valentina..." she repeated over and over again, she was a woman possessed.

"Don't hurt her!" Kara pleaded, like she was protecting King Kong.

"GET HER!" Lauren ordered.

Derek was the first to arrive and grabbed her other leg making her fall to the floor. Then one by one they piled on, making a human pyramid.

"CAN ANY OF YOU TELL ME WHY YOU ARE MAKING SUCH A RACKET?" Valentina Carvajal appeared at the Rugby match. "I HAVE SPENT FIFTEEN MINUTES ASKING FOR SILENCE! AND NOW I FIND OUT THAT MY..." she touched her chest, "IT WAS MY FRIENDS AND MY OWN DAUGHTER WHO ARE MAKING ALL THE NOISE!" Valentina could not see what was under the human pyramid, the only thing she could make out it were the heads of her daughter and the others.

Mariana, who was at the top of the human pyramid, spoke. "Sorry Valentina. No one wanted to see the unbearable Sara so we just entertained ourselves playing a game," she explained.

"PLAYING? ARE YOU SERIOUS? I HAVE INTERNATIONAL SUPERMODELS IN MY STUDIO AND YOU ARE ENTERTAINING YOURSELVES 'PLAYING!' I AM WARNING YOU, THIS IS THE LAST TIME I LET ANY OF YOU ATTEND ONE OF MY PHOTOSHOOTS!" This was not a threat. "INES!" She called her assistant, "In three minutes we start the last group photo, then I want them all out before Adriana's session!"

"NOOOOOO!" Juliana heard 'Adriana' and 'session' in the same sentence and somehow managed to complain from where she was buried.

"What was that?" Valentina heard the complaint and turned to the group that was still piled high. That voice had sounded very familiar.

Lauren quickly interjected, "NOOOO... you can't leave me without my autograph V!" Good save Lolo.

"Fine!" Valentina relaxed, she had been thinking about Juliana all day and was already hearing her voice everywhere. "Come with me and I'll introduce her to you before the photos," the blonde started walking towards the set.

Lauren got up from the mountain gently. "Take her to Valentina's office," she ordered and then followed her friend.

~~~~~~

The Latina strutted into the office of her former captain with a signature that read 'Adriana Lima' on her chest. She immediately noticed Juliana sitting in Valentina's favourite armchair with her head down and Nikki was kneeling in front of her while bandaging her bleeding hand. The lawyer looked at her friends who were sitting in different areas of the office. Everyone was looking at the brunette.

"She punched the wall!" Shane informed her.

"Lolo..." Camila caught the attention of her fiancée. "Can we try to convince Valentina to lend us Juliana? When I was on top of her, I could feel her butt and WOW!" The dancer had already failed several times in that request but apparently, she wanted to try again.

"Don't worry Camzi Camz, after what I touched, I am going to insist so much to Valentina that she will have no choice but to accept!" The couple were determined to have their fun with the brunette. Lauren walked over to Juliana, her teammate had already finished bandaging her hand. "Can you tell why the hell you punched the wall?" She got no answer. Not even a glance. "Oh, so now it turns out that the sweetie has swallowed her tongue!" She said jokingly, she wanted to lift her spirits but was failing.

Inés broke the ice by opening the office door, "Guys we are taking the final photo, Valentina told me to let you all know in case you want to see it. Kara your mom wants to see you." She said quickly and turned to go. The girl gave her other mother one last worried look and walked slowly out of the room.

They all looked at each other. "Someone has to stay with the prisoner... I mean with Juli!" Nikki corrected.

"I say Mariana and Shane stay!" Lauren said. "They didn't even see her slip past them!" She added.

"Well, I think Camila and Derek should stay!" Shane was not going to keep quiet, "It was because of them she entered the building."

"Camila won't stay!" Lauren defended.

"Derek either!" This was Mariana. "Let the new one stay!" She pointed to Nikki.

"Hey no!" The player jumped up, "I was specially invited by the girlfriend of my best friend!" She used her connection.

"Guys..." Camila realised that something was missing.

"Wait honey, if it is down to connections, then I am the best friend of the photographer and... I am the lawyer of her firm so..."

"GUUYYYYSS!" The dancer ran out of patience.

"WHAT?" They all answered at once.

"STOP FIGHTING BECAUSE WE NO LONGER HAVE A PRISONER TO WATCH!" Camilla pointed to the empty chair where Juliana had been.

The six looked at each other, then looked at the open door... "GET HER!" Was the battle cry that everyone sang before chasing after the athlete.

****

** A few minutes earlier on set **

Kara arrived next to her mother who was behind the camera waiting for the models to finish occupying their positions. "Did you need me Mami?" She asked softly.

"Have you heard from your mother, darling?... I NEED MORE LIGHT ON ALESSANDRA'S FACE!" She couldn't rest for a second.

"Huh?... What did you ask me?" The little girl didn't want to lie.

"I want to know if you heard anything about Juliana?... SARA, I NEED ANOTHER POSE, THAT IS THE FIFTH TIME YOU HAVE GIVEN THE SAME THING!" There was a murmur between the models. "NO, NO, NO! CHANTAL YOU ARE OUT OF FOCUS!" It was not an easy job coordinating ten self-centred women. "Wait a second darling. Valentina had to arrange them herself. She moved on to the set and began to give directions. "Turn to your right... good... Adriana and Alessandra want you closer together. There... Perfect... Now..." Valentina noticed how the ten models were looking behind her, "Is there a problem?" She turned to look behind her. "Juliana?... What are you doing..." she couldn't finish asking before the brunette grabbed her by the waist, lifted her and gave her one of those kisses that there was no turning back from, a kiss that was capable of changing a person. To her own surprise, as soon as Valentina felt her girl's lips, she gave herself over to the kiss. Taking advantage of the fact that Juliana was holding her, she surrounded her girlfriend's body with her legs and intensified the kiss regardless of the audience around them.

"We are too late," said Mariana, flustered by the scene in front of them.

"Lolo, you have to ask Valentina today! You have to insist!"

"Today without fail love!" Her fiancée agreed, she was already getting hot watching her friend and the sweetie entwined in their kiss.

"AHH GOOD. THE LAST THING WE NEEDED!" It was to be expected that Sara would break the bubble. "CLOSE THE STUDIO DOOR OR THE SLUTS WILL CONTINUE TO ENTER!" She provoked.

Without thinking twice Juliana separated from her girlfriend, enraged she approached the model. "Repeat that!" She ordered inches from her.

"Yes sweetie, hit her hard!" Lauren whispered.

"Juliana." Valentina managed to stop her by holding her arms tightly, it was already clear what her girlfriend would do to defend her. "Juliana... love... ignore her!" She insisted.

"What's up brunette, you wouldn't dare to hit me?!" Sara provoked. "Do you want me to tell you how Valentina used to scream my name in bed?" The redhead was playing with fire.

The athlete struggled with more force trying to get her girlfriend to let go. "Juls... baby..." and that nickname was the key for Valentina to feel her girlfriend stop fighting her, so she called her again, "Baby... Look at me please." The basketball player met her eyes. "Can you wait for me in the office?" It wasn't going to be that easy because the brunette shook her head. Valentina breathed without taking her eyes off those mesmerising brown eyes. "EVERYONE TAKE FIVE!" She announced and without waiting she grabbed her girl's bandaged hand and pulled her away.

Once alone, she asked, "What happened to your hand?"

"It's nothing!" She replied avoiding the blonde's gaze.

"Juls... look at me and answer me please. What happened to your hand?" She pressed stroking the brunette's face.

"I hit a wall," she said pouting, earning a reproachful look from the photographer.

Valentina took her hand and began to inspect it. "Why did you do that?" One less cat.

"Because I was jealous!" At this point it was not worth lying. "Because I do not want you to do private sessions with anyone, especially not with Adriana Rima!" She confessed.

"Lima," she corrected smiling at the jealousy of her girlfriend.

"Same thing!" She defended herself.

"Do you not trust me?" Asked the blonde.

"It's not that... it's..."

"Tell me, please!" She insisted.

"I don't want to lose you!" She said looking straight into her eyes.

Valentina smiled, "You are not going to lose me!" She assured her. "And do you know why?" She kissed her girlfriend's nose. "Because I'm already lost, I'm lost in you..." she gently grabbed Juliana's face, "and I don't want anyone to find me. Because I LOVE YOU and I am happily lost with you!" A new kiss made the building shake. "Will you wait for me at home?" She asked without separating too much. Noticing that the athlete was about to refuse she added, "The best thing about being the Victoria's Secret photographer is that they send me new items from catalogue, I want to model them for you tonight."

"What do you want me to cook?" Juliana asked without hesitation.  
  
  



	31. 31: Between flowers and bras

** Valentina's Apartment - The day after the photoshoot **

"IT'S OPEN!" Valentina knew from the knock that her friends had arrived, and she was not planning to get up from the sofa to let them in, not in the state Juliana had left her.

"You are so lazy V!" Lauren said as she entered the room holding her fiancée's hand and seeing her friend sprawled on the couch. "It's two in the afternoon! What are you doing?... GOD, this place looks like a fucking flower shop!" The Latina was not wrong, there was not an area in the living room not filled with bouquets of flowers.

"WOW! I always wanted a room full of flowers!" Camila had probably imagined an entire house built with flowers but hey, this was the closest she'd seen.

"Are you planning to tell us why you decided to turn your living room into a greenhouse?" The space was filled with many types of flowers, roses, lilacs even the occasional daisy.

"They are from Juliana," she answered, like it explained everything, she knew there would be more questions so she waited.

"Did you fight?" Camila asked worried, "Lolo always gives me flowers after we fight, because she is always to blame, not two hours go by without her showing up at the door with a bouquet of roses." Apparently, flowers were a frequent occurrence in the future Jauregui-Cabello household.

"What? The supposed 'rebel' Lauren Jauregui gives flowers?" Valentina saw a perfect opportunity to change the subject, she really did not want to get into the subject of her flowers. "Wait until the others to find out about this Lolo!" The photographer mocked from the sofa. "You will want the earth to swallow you whole!" She laughed.

"Ha ha!" Lauren knew her friend was trying to change the subject. "Very funny Valen! You are not going to say anything because first: you would not leave this room alive! And second: you can make fun of me all you want but we are not leaving until you tell us why you and the sweetie fought!" The Latina saw how a mischievous smile was formed on her friend's face, while she remembered some of the more interesting moments. "Oooh, it’s not because they fought!" She deduced. "It's for something else!... Don't tell me...?" She looked at her friend who continued to have the same idiotic smile, only this time it was accompanied by a movement of her head that confirmed Lauren's question. "AGAIN, IN A COMA?" She asked to confirm her theory.

"She left me practically unconscious!" And in case that didn't answer her friend's question, she added, "I've been laying on the couch since she took Kara to walk Puppy." And she wasn't lying.

"Oh my God, V! Your girlfriend is a sexual psychopath!" There was no filter, Lauren Jauregui just said what she thought. She could not believe there was someone out there more addicted to sex than her, still in shock from this news she needed to lay down. "Move your big butt over Carvajal!" She asked trying to lay on the couch next to her friend, "I need to rest!"

"I don't understand..." Camila said as she pushed her girlfriend against Valentina so that she could also lay on the couch. Lauren had to grab her so she wouldn't fall off. "Shouldn't you be giving Juliana the flowers in that case?" The dancer was not wrong. "After I make Lolo scream several times, she prepares me breakfast, lets me watch whatever I want on TV and even feeds Tlacoyo." _Wapeesh!_ Again, the echo of the whip.

"Well... how can I explain... Juliana feels a bit guilty," she tried to explain, the smile reappeared on her face. "Apparently, she thinks she can't control herself; she thinks it hurts me when in reality the only thing she does is give me fantastic orgasms one after another!" Valentina had forgotten she was sharing a sofa with two of the most perverted people on the planet, after Juliana of course.

"And why do you make her think that?" Asked the lawyer.

"I don't make her; she just thinks it!" The photographer defended herself. "Well... the fact that I had to lock her in the bathroom after the fifth time helped a bit I think!" She clarified.

"Did you lock her in the bathroom again?" The Latina was beginning to worry about the jailer complex her friend had developed.

"Yep. She needed a time out!" She answered casually, "But it didn't help much because she decided to shower while she was in there."

"And?" They asked without understanding.

"And... the image of Juliana wet with only a towel covering half of her body, is not something anyone could say no to!" The three sighed in understanding while nodding their heads at the same time, apparently caused by the same image.

"Hey V... Camz and I have been thinking that..."

"DEFINITELY NOT!" She knew where this was going.

"You don't even know what we're going to ask you." Lauren knew that Valentina knew.

"Yes, I know and the answer is no... Juliana is only mine!" God this couple were persistent.

"But Valen we share everything. I was your first kiss!" The dancer reminded her.

"That was a game Camz!" What happens in cheerleading camp, stays in camp.

"I'll let you change the colour of the bridesmaids' dresses to the one you wanted!" Offered the Latina.

"Nope!" Valentina was firm in her decision, although she really would have liked to change the peach colour of her dress. Only the cone was missing to make her look like an ice cream.

"What if we film it?" Luckily for Camila someone knocked on the door.

"IT'S OPEN!" The three shouted at the same time.

"Eeeh... excuse me..." A young man dressed in a blue uniform entered the apartment. If you think the trio moved from the sofa, you'd be very wrong! "I bring a delivery for Miss... Valentina Carvajal," he announced reading his notes.

"Do I have to sign for it or can you bring it in here?" Asked the photographer from the depth of her sofa.

"You are supposed to sign for it," the young man insisted that one of the three had to sign.

"Camz, Lolo... do your thing!" Valentina whispered to her friends.

"Yayyy!" The dancer celebrated who immediately turned around to face her girlfriend and start a sweet round of public kisses.

"Could you be so kind and bring my package in?" Valentina asked again.

"What package?... AAA... sure, sure... delivery right... I'll be back," he announced but his body did not move, he continued enjoying his free show.

"Excuse me... I'm waiting!" No one makes Valentina Carvajal wait. The boy shook his head to wake up and stepped out of sight from the three women.

"It always works!" She said smiling to her friends who were still enjoying their own show. "He's already gone!" She hit Lauren on the shoulder with the intention of separating them but she only managed to press the Latina even closer to her fiancée. "HE'S ALREADY GONE!" She insisted trying to stop the lawyer, but she used too much force and managed to push them both off the sofa.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" Lauren scolded her from the ground.

"TRYING TO STOP YOU TWO FROM HAVING SEX ON THE SOFA THAT I AM LYING ON!... AND WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?" Apparently, the delivery men did not want to interrupt the discussion.

"Where do we leave these?" Asked one of the men, showing her the bags in his hands.

"Wherever you see a place that is not filled with flowers," she replied. Well, apparently it was not a single package, but several.

"Hey, you..." Lauren called one of the men, "give that to me!" At first he doubted whether to hand over the bag, but after the face Lauren made, he placed the bag in her hands. "A bra?" Lauren pulled the garment from the bag.

"There is also a bra in this one," Camila showed them.

"And in this one!" The Latina was inspecting each of the packages and apparently they were all the same. "I assumed the sweetie was behind this," she said when she found the sender's card.

"Give me that!" Finally, Valentina snapped out of her lethargy, although still a little sore, and took the card from her friend's hand to read it...

_'Sorry for ripping yours. I hope some of these are to your liking._   
_PS: there is something in one of the bags that is not for you! I love you my Queen.'_

"SHE RIPPED THEM?" The couple had sneaked behind their friend to read the note without her noticing. "Apparently the sweetie is not very patient!" Added Lauren.

"Well..." This time her cell phone saved her. The blonde looked at the screen, "Ugh!" She sighed. "Seriously, again Lucho... What do you want now?" She asked reluctantly when answering the phone. It was the fifth time he had called that day. "Aaah... Hi Sergio, how are you?" The blonde rolled her eyes when she heard the voice of Kara's father's boyfriend. Lauren and Camila looked at each other, if there was someone equal to or more unbearable than Sara, it was Sergio. "Sergio... listen..." she stopped him, "I told Lucho and I'll repeat it to you, I DON'T KNOW what Juliana is going to give Kara for her birthday!"

Valentina had to dodge the Latina who wanted to take her cell phone from her, probably to tell Sergio that she will kick his butt if he continues to bother her. "For the fourteenth time... Juliana is not playing mother... SHE IS HER MOTHER!" Since they had found out, Sergio had repeatedly claimed the brunette was not a good influence for their daughter and the photographer was already sick of it. "Bring her whatever you want Sergio... Yes, we'll see you next weekend. Goodbye!" She cut the call and clutched her head while she dropped back on to the sofa. Apparently, she did not want to leave that place.

"What now?" Lauren didn't wait to ask. If it's about killing Tlacoyo, she is always ready.

"FIVE TIMES LERN! Five times they have called me to ask what Juliana is going to give Kara for her birthday. Not to mention that with every phone call I have to put up with their complaints... _'Why does she call Juliana Mom but she doesn't want to call me Dad? Why doesn't she want to come visit us? Why don't we celebrate her birthday here?'_ Blah blah blah!" Valentina tried to imitate Sergio's voice.

"And what is she going to give her?" This time it was Camila who killed her own cat.

Valentina smiled, "What would she NOT give her? If that girl wants the Moon, Juliana will bring it to her!" Said the blonde proudly. "I mean, I am sure that inside one of those packages..." she pointed to the bags, "there is a hippopotamus that I am one hundred percent sure will be called Seven!"

At that very moment the dancer took a stuffed animal out of one of the bags, indeed it was the animal that Valentina had mentioned, this time it was a green hippo.

"How'd you know?"

"Never, has she ever given me a gift without adding one for Kara, she thinks of her all the time," she explained. Although it wasn't necessary, the couple knew what the brunette was like with the little girl.

"Speaking of her birthday V, do you still want the phone number of Camz's birthday clown?" Yes, they had hired a clown... for Camila's birthday!

"Can you contact them Lolo? It's bad enough looking for a venue for all thirty of my daughter's friends, not to mention my own friends!"

"Thirty?" The Latina was surprised. "But last year it was us, the Chinese, trout mouth, the singer, Lucho and his unbearable boyfriend and your parents... I know... I know... don't say anything!" She anticipated the answer from the look that Valentina gave her. "Juliana!" They couldn't blame the girl for her popularity.

The blonde smiled because her spidey senses were detecting the presence of her girlfriend. "SHHHH!" She ordered, "Listen!" Laughter again flooded the Carvajal house, this time accompanied by barking. "I love those laughs." Juliana was right, laughter definitely is the voice of the soul.

Not ten seconds passed before Valentina had Puppy on her stomach. The puppy was the double of the brunette, an earthquake grade eight on the Richter scale that only Valentina could calm. The blonde only had to caress the pup for the animal to fall at her feet. "What's wrong Pup, did those two drive you crazy?" She asked him. The pup looked exhausted.

"A PUPPY!" Apparently, Camila was not only fond of cats, as soon as she saw the animal, she ran to hug and squeeze him like Elvira from the Looney Tunes.

"AGAIN?" Kara and Juliana made an appearance in the room and like every time Valentina let them go to the park alone... they came back soaked. "THIS IS THE LAST TIME YOU TWO GO OUT ALONE!" She warned when she saw her daughter and girlfriend dripping water all over her apartment.

"It was her fault!" Both 'girls' pointed at each other. They looked at each other... and laughed again.

"Well, I don't care whose fault it was, I just want you both as far away from me as possible! These Calvin Klein jeans are from the latest collection!" Lauren moved as far away as she could.

"Kangaroo, I think your Aunt Lolo wants the special treatment," she winked at her and started moving towards Lauren.

"You are very lucky Aunt Lolo, not all girls get the 'special treatment' of the Carvaldés!" Valentina rolled her eyes at the blend of her daughter's surnames.

"If you take another step, I swear I will behead each of the fat, coloured critters the little demon has in her room!" She was referring to hippos of course.

"You wouldn't dare!" She couldn't do that to her niece.

"Are you ready kangaroo?" They were only two steps away from the Latina who couldn't go back any further because she collided with the breakfast bar. "NOW!" Both the little girl and the athlete began to rub against the lawyer.

"SHIT! CAMZ?... V? HELP!" At first, she asked for help without any success because her fiancée was too entertained with Puppy and Valentina was very amused by the desperation of the Latina, until Lauren realised what was happening, Juliana was practically pressed against her. She looked at Valentina and gave her an evil smile. She had found her Achilles heel.

"OKAY, GOOD, GOOD, LEAVE LAUREN ALONE!" Valentina got up from the couch and went to separate her girlfriend from her friend.

"Wait V, let the sweetie squeeze me a little more, I really am enjoying her all wet!" The Latina kept smiling.

"I think you're wet enough... Kara! There's a gift for you in the bag," her mother told her as she grabbed the brunette to separate her from Lauren.

"A gift? YAYYY!" She ran away.

"How are you?" Juliana asked her girlfriend, still a little embarrassed. "I see you received my apology gifts."

"There is nothing to apologise for and now that I see you, I am much better!" She answered with a smile, which she was planning to erase with her lips but her daughter's voice interrupted.

"Is this my present?" She asked while holding one of Valentina's new bras in her hand.

"No, no darling!" The blonde went to retrieve the garment and exchange it for the real gift. The colour of Valentina's face was as red as the underwear the girl had lifted.

"At her age I would have preferred the bra!" Lauren whispered, almost secretly to the brunette.

"Totally!" They secretly high-fived.

Camila and Valentina looked at each other and rolled their eyes at the same time. Their girlfriends were so gay.

"Can you tell us what happened to you now?" Obviously, they didn't see the 'beware of the lake' sign.

As they both hurried to speak at the same time, Valentina stopped them as they had taught her, "Time out!" She made the correct sign and everything.

Camila and Juliana looked at each other laughing. "Very good love... you did well!" The brunette congratulated her. The girlfriend of Juliana Valdés needed to know the time out signal.

"Thank you... But now I want each of you to tell me what happened but one at a time," she asked. Kara raised her hand quickly. "Ok Kara, you can go first," the girl stuck her tongue out at her other mother for being faster than her.

"We were walking near the park, when MOM..." she pointed to the brunette, "came up with the great idea of going near the lake, something about showing me that Puppy is a magnet for attracting girls!" Kara didn't need to reveal that part of the story.

"Juliana!" The first killer look of the day.

"I just wanted to check a theory love, and I was right! The girl has two more girlfriends, right Kara?" The little girl couldn't help it, she was just adorable.

"I think someone is going back to their own apartment tonight," Lauren said softly to Juliana.

"Can I continue?" The Carvajal character was on display.

"Yes. Carry on darling," her mother agreed.

"Well... We were throwing the ball for Puppy to chase when..."

"WHEN..." interrupted Juliana, "YOUR DAUGHTER!" The brunette highlighted. "Deliberately threw it near a group of teenagers, but the very cowardly puppy would not go get it so she had to go..." she pointed to the little kangaroo, "and the naughty girl stayed there practicing **_lesson #33_** with the girls, forgetting all about the ball! And since the dog had nothing to play with, he began to chase the ducks, one of the ducks attacked a lady, the lady fell into the lake and I had to rescue her. End of story. Let's go bathe. I love you so much my love. Can you help me lather up?" Juliana approached Valentina, but she stopped her.

"Was that all Kara?" She asked.

"Well, up to the part where the lady fell yes..." she looked at her mother and began to smile maliciously, "but mom forgot to mention the part where she took off her shirt before going into the lake!" Oops the second killer look. "THE ENTIRE park wanted to get into the lake with her, so I had to run to cover her and I ended up like this!" She gestured to her wet outfit. "All to defend what is yours, mom!" Kara pouted at her original mother.

"I know, honey, I know!" Valentina caressed her daughter, while looking at her girlfriend, this last look came with a laser.

"Treacherous rat!" Juliana murmured.

"Juls, if you want, you can sleep with me and Lolo tonight!" Camila did not miss an opportunity.

"IN MY DEFENCE..." Juliana could not allow this injustice. "This..." she grabbed her shirt, "is the fifth shirt that I have ruined because of that stupid lake. If it weren't for Ratatouille forgetting the ball this wouldn't have happened!"

"Mami, are you going to let her blame me?" The girl was acting innocent.

"Don't worry darling, Mommy Juls will have a lot of time to think about what she did when she is alone in her bed tonight!" Valentina kept caressing her little girl.

"My offer still stands!" Camila said in her ear. "And if it's without a shirt, even better."  
  



	32. 32: A little kitchen!

** Communal area of Valentina building - Saturday morning **

"Can you put the toys and games at the back of the garden please? I don't want the children running around the cake table." Valentina was giving instructions on how to organise the tables and entertainment for her daughter's birthday party. "And can you tell the grumpy Latina over there that I need her!" The blonde had left her friend in charge of the desserts, and for the last two hours Lauren had been yelling at anyone who dared to even look at her prized desserts. "Ugh," the photographer sighed exhausted. The week before her daughter's birthday had been... intense, so to speak.

For starters, after the night of the 'tragic' park accident for which Juliana was found guilty and sentenced to spend the night in her recently vacated apartment, Valentina Carvajal had woken up early, ready to start her work week until an unexpected scene emotionally destabilised her.

Juliana Valdés was not in her own apartment; she was sleeping on Valentina's sofa. And... she was not alone, curled up on her feet was a small beagle puppy and snuggled in her arms was a small blonde girl, who looked identical to Valentina but was becoming increasingly like Juliana.

For the rest of that day, she couldn't focus on anything, she couldn't focus on her work, she couldn't concentrate long enough to find a place to hold her daughter's birthday party... she couldn't do anything. Her mind was constantly wandering between several images: Juliana and her together, Juliana and Kara sleeping on the sofa like two angels, a Sunday morning spent in bed playing with five or six mini-Valentina or Juliana. The picture of a perfect family haunted her throughout that day. Valentina wanted Juliana by her side for her whole life and she wanted her now.

The next day, during the dress fittings for Lauren's wedding, the blonde had decided to share her thoughts with the Latina. _'Are you crazy, drunk or what?'_ was the Latina's first response, apparently this was already a common saying among her friends. Not only was Lauren opposed to the large family idea, but she also thought Valentina was rushing things. So, the photographer forced herself to remove the images from her mind.

But Juliana wasn't helping. That same day the brunette was playing a home game, and despite the player insisting that Valentina, her daughter, and her friends watch the game from the box, because she did not want her girlfriend to hear the things that were shouted from the stands. The group, led by Derek and Lauren, were not convinced and so they sat in the same row as the first game. The photographer had to assure her girlfriend that she did not have to worry, but since the brunette did not want to spend another night alone in her apartment, she resorted to public demonstrations.

When the stadium announcer introduced her as 'the star of the team' Juliana came out on to the court but before getting ready to play, the athlete climbed several rows of the stands to reach her girlfriend, grab her by her waist, and kiss her while practically screaming, _'HEY LOOK EVERYONE, THIS IS VALENTINA CARVAJAL AND SHE IS MY GIRLFRIEND!'_ This gesture not only made Juliana score points with the VPB, but it also made the images of their perfect family return, making her crave it even more, if that was possible.

Obviously that night no magazine or newspaper cared that Juliana had scored forty-seven points, breaking the clubs record. No, the journalists had already decided on a different story, they even had their cover photograph.

Journalists, another subject that Valentina did not like very much. They were not only camping out at her studio but they were also lurking at the door of her building and even at Kara's school. Lauren had also complained about spotting them hanging around her neighbourhood.

Not to mention that after her girlfriend's famous declaration of public love, the cell phones of both women did not stop ringing. Valentina received all kinds of calls, family, friends, businessmen and firms that wanted her to work with them. She even received threats from different women, but one in particular caught her attention because the woman's voice was suspiciously similar to that of teacher Kim.

On the brunette's phone though, no names could be identified, only 'rainy night girl at bowling alley', 'karaoke girl', 'blonde from the beach', etcetera, etcetera appeared. Valentina had made her girlfriend answer each of the calls and apologise to the women. Well, only the first few, because the blonde had noticed that this approach wasn't working and instead of the women accepting defeat and backing off, it made them even more interested, so Valentina had to take care of the apologies herself. Needless to say, it did not end well and Juliana ended up on Valentina's sofa with the puppy and Kara to keep her company.

But, the rest of the week was even worse, not because of the organisation of the party or because of the journalists, not even because Lucho and Sergio were in the city, but because HER brunette had to travel to the west of the country to complete a round of away matches. Every day she missed her even more. She couldn't stop thinking about her for a minute and not only was her daughter feeling the same but even the puppy was missing her. Juliana was the soul of their home and no one could deny it.

"What's up Carvajal, why did you call me?" Lauren interrupted her thoughts. "It better be important because if something happens to my desserts, I swear I will not be happy!" The Latina loved that bakery.

"Can you stop being so annoying about the desserts?!" Valentina challenged her. "I need you to go to the airport and look for my parents, they must have arrived by now and I still need to go get Kara out of bed."

"Is she still sleeping?" She asked surprised, the girl did not normally sleep in.

"Last night we stayed up late waiting for Juliana's surprise," said the blonde with a huge smile.

"More gifts?" The Latina asked. The athlete had taken it upon herself to send gifts to her daughter on the days she was not with them. And if mini V received a gift, so did big V. That was Juliana's Law. "For God's sake tell me it wasn't another hippopotamus!" Lauren had started having nightmares about them.

"Don't worry..." Valentina calmed her, "Eight will be the last stuffed animal in this house!" That had been the first gift.

"So..."

"Well, it appears that Kara not only has a drum kit in Juliana's house, but also in mine!" She revealed her girlfriend's gift.

"Please tell me you are thinking about soundproofing her room?!" The Latina couldn't imagine putting up with her niece beating a drum all day.

"Juliana already took care of that. This Monday there are workmen coming," she had obviously thought it through. "And not just to soundproof Kara's room!" She winked at her friend.

"OH, GOD! Valentina... friend... I don't know how you're going to survive the beast!" Lauren had already surrendered at the feet of the beast.

"You have no idea how much I've missed her claws these last few days!" The blonde said, daydreaming.

"And the way the sweetie played yesterday..." she was referring to how much energy the brunette seemed to have on the television. "I'm sure she's sharpening her fangs for you V!" Well, that was taken for granted. "You know you can always count on me and Camz to help tame her though, right?" She persisted, again.

"LAUREN!" That managed to wake her up. "Are you going to go look for my parents or not?" Asked an exasperated Valentina.

"Okay, okay!" Agreed the Latina. "You better take care of my desserts!" She warned before leaving.

** Kara's Birthday Party **

"STOP RUNNING AROUND THE DESSERTS TABLE!" Lauren didn't understand why the kids didn't care about the desserts as much as she did.

"Lolo leave the kids alone, they're just having fun." Camila tried to calm the Latina.

"Why can't they go play at the back with the clowns or do something else? I'm sure our little demon niece is doing it on purpose!" Lauren was sitting next to her fiancée ready to reach out and murder anyone who touched her treasure, _'My Precious!'_ as Gollum would say.

"I didn't know my granddaughter had so many friends!" Lucia commented to Valentina's friends as she tried to make her way to the table, avoiding several children.

"Ask Valentina..." Mariana pointed to the blonde who was now approaching the group frustrated, "she's about to go crazy!" And it was no exaggeration, the photographer had been trying for two hours to get Kara to stay still long enough to take a picture of her but had no luck.

"Uh oh, bitch in sight!" Shane announced the arrival of Lucho's car, which obviously came with an annoying Sergio.

"KARA!" Valentina wanted to talk to her daughter before the couple got to her. Despite the mini killer look that the adult earned by interrupting her daughter's talk with her friend Bella, the little girl answered the call.

"Mom, didn't you see that I was about to make my move!" Unintentionally or not, the kangaroo always buried the brunette.

"I'm going to kill Juliana!" She told her friends before turning back to her daughter. "Listen Kara, your father has arrived with Sergio..." she pointed to the couple who at that moment were trying to lower a package from the back of the car. Well, Lucho was trying, Sergio was only yelling at his boyfriend. "Whatever they give you, you are forbidden to say any of the phrases you have learned from Juliana! Do you understand?" The blonde did not need any more problems. "Whether you like it or not, you are going to smile and thank them anyway! Can you do that?" At this point she was almost begging.

"Do I have to lie?" Asked the shocked little girl. "Sheldon Cooper's mother says that 'lies make baby Jesus cry'!" Watching The big Bang theory had become a family activity with the kangaroo.

"It's not lying kangaroo it's..." Sam intervened to help his friend.

"Do not call me that!" Everyone in the group rolled their eyes.

"It's not a lie if you like the gift and if you don't like it, you simply thank them without saying anything else!"

"Can't I ask him if he's crazy or drunk?" She loved to make Sergio mad.

"That's my favourite!" Camila clapped excited.

"I like... 'You are such a bitch I should introduce you to my puppy'!" Mariana remembered one of the latest inventions of the athlete.

"They will never surpass 'batshit crazy' though!" The Latina loved to fight with the brunette just to hear that insult.

"ENOUGH!" Her friends were useless. "No darling, don't repeat any of those!" The blonde managed to say just as Sergio and Lucho appeared with the huge parcel in hand.

"DADDY!" Kara ran to hug him. Just hug, the jumps were reserved.

"Hi Kari!" The man answered the greeting.

"Hello Sergio."

Valentina was breathing easier again.

"HELLO KANGAROO!" Kara looked at her mother frowning and pressing her lips together. The rest of their friends also squeezed theirs shut, but to avoid laughing. The one who laughed first would earn a killer look from Valentina. "We have a surprise for you, right Stud-muffin?"

And the winner is... Lauren! The lawyer couldn't hold back her laughter at Lucho's nickname.

"Sergio, I told you not to call me that in front of my friends!" His boyfriend reminded him.

"Stop complaining and give the girl our gift!" Lucho picked up the package, that was as big as Kara, and put it in front of his daughter, "I'm sure it will be the best gift of all!" The man said excitedly to the little girl. Kara looked at the gift suspiciously. "What are you waiting for? Open it!" He insisted so much that Kara began to tear the wrapper.

When she finally got to the interesting part she paused, "It's a... a..."

"A KITCHEN!" Mariana applauded excitedly.

Kara looked at her mom begging her to let her say a few words but Valentina gestured a gigantic _'NO!'_ with her mouth. The girl sighed. "Thank you. I love it," she lied with tremendous effort.

"Do you want to show it to your friends?" Asked her dad's boyfriend.

And Kara couldn't take it anymore...

"ARE YOU CRA..."

"I THINK..." interrupted the photographer, "that it would be better if we put it with the rest of the gifts, we don't want the other children to be envious and break it, right?" Sergio smiled. "Why don't you take it to your room, Kara? If you want you can ask Bella to accompany you!" She gave her daughter a little push, but before leaving she murmured something like _"Why don't I put it in your room!" "_ I CAN STILL HEAR YOU!" She warned her daughter though clenched teeth before turning towards her most recent guests. "Lucho, Sergio, make yourself comfortable please." She welcomed them while breathing a sigh of relief because her daughter had not screwed up. "I'll tell the waiters to bring you both something to drink," she went in search of the people that her girlfriend had insisted on hiring.

"Sit here Stud-muffin!" Lauren teased in a low voice.

"Shut your mouth, Satan!" Lucho hated that nickname.

"Unlike the clowns..." Mariana pointed to a corner of the garden where there were several costumed men entertaining a few children "the trampoline seems to be very successful!" In the middle of the garden there was a huge trampoline.

"It was the sweetie's idea." Lauren said.

"And where is my daughter-in-law?" Lucia was referring to Juliana of course.

"First, you don't have a daughter-in-law, mom!" Valentina had just arrived in time to hear her mother. "And second, she just got off the plane, they're on their way. The team bus is bringing them."

"What did you say?" Derek and Lauren asked at the same time.

"Is the whole team coming?" This was Derek.

"Yes, almost all of them I think," or so her girlfriend had told her.

"AND YOU ARE ONLY TELLING US NOW?!" Her friend scolded her. "I would have brought my shirt to be signed!... OH GOD... The Liberty team are going to try my desserts... I have to go chase those children away! I ALREADY SAW YOU DWARFS!" The lawyer couldn't handle the children.

"THE WITCH IS COMING!" Shouted one of the boys as he ran away.

The Latina returned to her future wife's side, "DID YOU HEAR THAT CAMZ? DID YOU HEAR?" She asked. "They called me a Witch..." The dancer consoled her. "With this body, at least I am a sexy witch, right?" Her girlfriend nodded.

"But aren't there over twenty players?!" Leon returned to the previous conversation. He had grown tired of hearing the complaints of his daughter's friend.

"They were the third ones that Kara invited..." Valentina recalled, without giving any importance to what she just said, "well except for the captain of course!" Not even the girl could stand her.

"The third?" Asked Leon. "I imagine we were the first, right?" Jealous grandfather.

"Or at least the second!" Lucia added. It seems that jealousy ran in the family.

"I'm sorry, Mr & Mrs. Carvajal, but I'm sure her father was first!" The bitch entered the conversation.

"You are all going to have to shut your mouths because I'm sure that the first ones were her aunts, right V?" The Latina joined the discussion.

"Or her uncles!" Derek corrected.

"Something like that..." was all Valentina said, she did not want to continue this conversation.

"Something like that? I don't think so V, you tell us now!" Demanded the lawyer.

"Do not insist Lauren!" The blonde wanted to cover her friend's mouth.

"The first were her mothers." Camila submitted.

"Her mother!" Sergio tried to correct her, "Valentina is Kara's only mother!"

"Sergio, I don't want to get into this discussion with you again, especially on my daughter's birthday!" This made him shut his mouth momentarily.

"And so?" Sam was breaking the ice that had begun to form.

"So?" She didn't know what the man was referring to.

"If Juliana and you were the first and the Liberty squad third. Who came second?" Without a doubt It was obviously someone important.

"Well, the only eight guests who are still in their seats!" She pointed to one of the tables that had eight different hippos located around it, one on each chair.

While the rest laughed at the occurrence of the girl, Valentina received a message that automatically drew a huge smile on her face.

_'I will see you in fifteen minutes my love. I don't know how I'm going to stop myself from kidnapping you from the party to show you how much I've missed you!'_

"Really V? Sexting on your daughter's birthday?! That is so wrong!" Lauren's comment made her friend's face change dramatically from heavenly white to tomato red.

"VALEN!" Her parents challenged her.

"Can I read it?" Camila asked.

"Lauren, instead of saying stupid things, can you help me look for Kara, I need to tell her that Juliana will be here soon." She did not let her friend respond, she grabbed her by the arm and forced her to accompany her.

"I don't see her around here," the Latina observed.

"She must have gone up to the apartment to leave Sergio's gift. Come on!" The blonde demanded.

"TAKE CARE OF MY DESSERTS!" She shouted again.

"Was it necessary for you to say that in front of my parents?!" They were in the elevator when Lauren received a slap on the arm from her friend.

"OUCHH! Watch it dumb blonde, and it just slipped out!" She defended herself as they walked towards the door of the photographer's apartment.

Valentina turned the key and pushed, "The next time something like that escapes you..." She couldn't continue because of Lauren's scared face. "What?" She asked, and at the same time turned to look into her living room, "KARAAA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" The adults had caught the girl giving her friend Bella an innocent kiss on the mouth.

"She's the daughter of a tiger, it was bound to happen!" The Latina smiled mischievously. Juliana's lessons seemed to be bearing fruit.

"Lauren take Bella back to the party please, I need to talk to Kara!" Not even her pouting would save her from this. As soon as Valentina saw that the Latina was leaving with the other girl, she looked at her daughter who had her head lowered and her hands behind her back. Valentina could not believe it, it was the exact same gesture her girlfriend made. "Can you explain what the hell you were doing?!" She couldn't relax, her mother mode had been activated.

"I was kissing..."

"I know you were kissing!" She replied frustrated. "But you can't go around kissing girls Kara, you're only eight years old!" She had literally just turned eight.

"Mommy Juls was only six when she had her first kiss with a girl!" This unexpected information was enough to end the conversation. However, the athlete definitely had a lot of explaining to do.

"We will talk about this later, do you hear me?" Valentina wouldn't let it go. "But we need to go back down to the party now," she took her daughter by the hand and they silently left the apartment.

The Carvajal's appeared just in time to see the arrival of the Liberty bus. Kara looked at her mother as if asking for permission to go greet them, Valentina nodded and released her hand. The girl and her friends ran out to await the arrival of the players.

"How do I look Camz?" Lauren asked her fiancée while adjusting her hair.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" The players were singing as they left the bus, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR KARA!" The last four came off the bus with a huge birthday cake that had eight lit candles on top. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" All the guests had joined in and began to applaud. "NOW MAKE A WISH! Kara squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds before opening them again as Nikki moved down beside her, "Now... blow!"

Kara did not wait. She blew with all her might until each candle was out, the guests began to applaud again.

"Nikki." Valentina called the player's attention "Where is Juliana?" But she couldn't hear the answer because Arizona started talking.

"Little one, it is an honour for us to give you this present," the coach had a large but thin present in her hand.

Kara was quick to open it, "WOW!" It was a framed team shirt and, on the back, it said Kara 'kangaroo' Carvajal.

"We have made you an honorary member of the team!" Announced the coach.

"Are you crying Lauren?" Derek had noticed tears in the eyes of the Latina.

"SHUT UP GRAY!" She didn't want anyone to know.

The little girl looked around but couldn't find who she was looking for. She looked to Valentina silently asking where her other mother was.

"Are you looking for me?" Juliana appeared behind the group.

"MOMMY!" Now the famous kangaroo jump appeared, the little girl clung tightly to her mother and suddenly began to cry, the emotions had overwhelmed her. "I missed you so much!" She said clinging even tighter to the brunette.

"Here I am, Pooh bear, I'm here!" She whispered in her ear as she stroked her back. "Hey... there's one more gift for you," she said and took advantage of the little girl's loosening grip to lower her back to the ground.

"Really?" She asked intrigued, opening her huge eyes when Nikki and another player dragged a huge box off the bus.

"Yep. It's from the team, we bought it with the money we collected in the swear jar. But before you open it, I need to do something urgent..." she looked for the blue eyes she had missed so much and as soon as she found them, she moved to her girlfriend and without wasting another second she kissed her until Lauren's subtle,

"Get a room!" Separated them.

"Hello beautiful," greeted the brunette.

"Hey," Valentina could hardly speak from the shame. She buried her face in her girlfriend's neck while hugging her.

"Can I open my gift now?" The little girl was anxious about the box, the brunette nodded without detaching herself from Valentina. And between the dwarf and several of the players they tore the wrapping apart.

Kara's jaw dropped open. And it was not the only one. The silence was impressive.

"Juliana, was it necessary to give the girl a motorcycle?" The famous Carvajal eyebrow appeared at the party.

"It's like mine my love, but much smaller!" The athlete defended herself. "Besides, if it were up to Nikki, they would have given her a stupid little kitchen! Can you imagine? Hahaha!"

Oh brunette, if Kara doesn't bury you, you'll bury yourself!  
  



	33. 33: The dessert war

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided not to make you wait for the second part of Kara's party.
> 
> Enjoy x

** The birthday party continues... **

"Ouch!" Lauren, who was on the other side of the brunette, had just elbowed her. "Why are you hitting me?" She looked at the Latina who in turn was staring at Sergio. When Juliana turned to look at Lucho's boyfriend, she noticed that the man seemed to be foaming at the mouth. "Oh, hello Sergio, I hadn't seen you." She greeted innocently but he didn't answer, instead he continued to glare at her. "What's wrong with the bitch?" She whispered to the Latina.

"He gave her a little kitchen," she whispered so softly that the brunette couldn't hear her.

"What?" She asked again.

"Sergio... gave her... a... little kitchen!" She repeated word for word.

"Love..." Juliana was addressing her girlfriend this time. "I think there's something's wrong with Lauren," she whispered.

"What she is trying to tell you is that I GIVE HER A KITCHEN!" The bitch furiously responded.

"Are you crazy, drunk or what?" The audience burst out laughing. "The girl already knows how to cook... The other day she prepared some tacos to die for, didn't she my love?" Between Sergio's demonic gaze and Valentina's murderous gaze, the athlete was about to be executed. If they were playing Mortal Kombat it would say _'Finish her!'_

As if the atmosphere wasn't heated enough, Bella decided to approach Kara, who was currently showing off her mini motorcycle to all her friends, "WOW! That's so cool!" Apparently, the bike was also a magnet, just like Puppy.

Kara watched her friend's reaction and remembered _' **Lesson #52:** What a damsel likes, is not questioned, it is given.' _The little girl smiled mischievously before getting off the bike and holding out her hand to the other girl. "Do you want to sit on it? I can help you," she offered.

"OKAY, GOOD, WE CAN CONTINUE WITH THE PARTY NOW!" Valentina managed to separate the two girls. "Coach Robbins..." she approached the coach and players, "make yourselves comfortable, I'll send someone to attend to you right away."

"Can we go to the trampoline?" Nikki asked excitedly.

"YES, Nikki you can do whatever you want!" Assured the photographer.

"DON'T TOUCH MY DESSERTS!" Lauren warned the substitute before several of the players ran off like little girls towards the trampoline.

"Valentina..." Juliana approached her girlfriend, after having watched the scene, "the kangaroo was making her move, why'd you interrupt? She almost had her, all she needed was..."

"Get to the kitchen, right now!" Valentina interrupted while pointing towards the door. "And you too!" She managed to grab her daughter, who when she saw her mother's face had tried to stealthily sneak away with her friends, but her mother was faster.

The basketball player and her daughter walked behind the blonde. The two looking at the floor and with their hands behind their backs. "We are in trouble mommy," Kara said very slowly to the brunette. "Mom's eyes are on fire!" And she was not wrong, Cyclops of the X Men would envy the power in Valentina's gaze.

"I know kangaroo, I know!" Although that fiery gaze did other things to Juliana, things her daughter did not need to know about.

Valentina paused at the door looking at the chef and waiters who were moving around the kitchen. "Could I have a moment alone, please?" She asked kindly.

"We have no witnesses," Juliana whispered to her daughter.

"You two inside!" She ordered them. Mother and daughter obeyed. "Do either of you know how many times a day Sergio calls me?" It was a rhetorical question.

"Many?" Juliana dared to answer.

"A lot?" Kara would not be outdone by the athlete.

"SILENCE! You do not speak, you only listen!" She warned them. "But yes... A lot! And do you think anything he says matters to me?" This time no one dared to speak, not even as a joke. "Well, NO! I don't care. But I listen to him because he is your father's boyfriend!" She pointed to Kara. "And all I wanted was for you to thank him for the gift... yes, yes. I know you did!" She anticipated when she saw her daughter was about to defend herself. "But half an hour later you arrive..." this time it was the brunette's turn, "and you open your big mouth. I don't want you to say anything!" She stopped her. "I want you to go look for Sergio and apologise to him... and I don't want to hear any phrase that has the word crazy in it, is that clear?" She asked her. The player did not respond. "Juliana, is that clear?" She insisted with her question.

"I thought we couldn't talk!" This was no time for jokes brunette.

Valentina rolled her eyes. "You are impossible Juliana... And you... don't laugh!" Her daughter had not behaved very well either. "I want you to stay well away from Bella, do you hear me?" The last thing she needed was to have problems with the parents of her daughter's friend.

"And why is that?" Juliana asked curious looking at her two favourite blondes.

"Well... Lauren and I found your daughter kissing her friend in the living room of our apartment!" Explained the photographer.

"REALLY?" She looked at the girl who, with the most mischievous smile she could achieve, nodded her head.

"YOUR FIRST KISS? I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!... WELL DONE KANGAROO!... HIGH FIVE!" The little girl hit her palm against her mother's. "And how was it?" She asked enthusiastically. "Did you start it? I bet you did!" She looked at the little girl and she smiled even more. "That's my daughter!" She lifted her and just like a basketball she began to throw her into the air.

"HAHAHA STOP MOMMY... STOP... TIME OUT!" Kara finally felt safe in her mother's arms. "Mommy... Do you remember the movie we watched where the woman got angry and set fire to everything?" She asked innocently.

"Carrie?... Yeah, I remember, why?" Juliana didn't know what that had to do with her daughter's first kiss.

"Because I think you are about to experience it first-hand!" The little girl pointed behind the brunette's back to her other mother.

When Juliana turned, she could feel the fire emanating from her girlfriend's gaze. She swallowed hard. "Kangaroo, you should go out and play with your friends." She gave her a little push.

Before leaving the little girl approached Juliana, "I love you mommy. I'm never going to forget you!" While hugging her, she took the opportunity to whisper, "If you don't come out soon, I'll send in reinforcements!" She kissed her on the cheek and left.

"Valentina love..." she tried to get closer.

"Don't take another step and don't call me love!" She pointed her finger at the athlete.

"But honey..." she took another small step.

"Or honey! And stop moving!" She warned her again.

"My Queen?" She asked seductively while still moving towards her.

"NO!" Answered the blonde who already knew in advance that she was going to lose this battle. "From now on, you can call me Valentina Carvajal!" She informed her. "Miss Valentina Carvajal!" She clarified.

Juliana came close to her girlfriend, "Oh yeah?" She asked sceptically. "So I'm supposed to call my girlfriend Miss Valentina Carvajal?" The brunette was not going to lose this game.

"About five minutes ago I stopped having a girlfriend!" The blonde was going to make this difficult.

"Are you going to leave me just like that?" The brunette put a hand on her chest pretending to be offended.

"Just like that!" She assured her.

Juliana approached the blonde very slowly. "What if I do this?" She whispered in her ear as she gently bit on her ear lobe and felt how her ex-girlfriend tensed at the contact. "Am I still an ex?" After asking, she caught the ear again with her teeth.

Valentina had to resist. "Definitely..." her voice came out with difficulty. "Now more than ever!" She managed to say.

Juliana brought her body even closer, so their clothes were all that separated them. "What if I do this?" The brunette was leaving kisses all over the exposed skin of her girl, when she reached her neck, she added more pressure and the occasional bite. One of the athlete's hands went straight to her girlfriend's butt. "Are you still single?" She whispered as she pressed more firmly against her.

The photographer did not want Juliana to remove her mouth from where she was, she wanted her to continue kissing her, touching her, she wanted everything. She tried to speak but no words came from her lips.

"You cannot speak," it was not a question, but rather an affirmation. "But I want you to answer me, I want to know if I am still your girlfriend." She said running her tongue over her girl's lower lip before grabbing it between her teeth, she released it when she heard the blonde let out a slight moan. "Answer me." She demanded but did not stop harassing the blonde with her kisses.

"You will be again..." it was impossible to tie the words together, "when... when... God give me strength!" Juliana laughed between kisses when she heard her girlfriend's pleas. "When you stop misbehaving!" She finished making the brunette stop her caresses. For now.

"Is misbehaving doing something like this?" The athlete's hands began to travel up the blonde's torso in search of her favourite destination, Valentina's breasts. But when they were about to arrive, she avoided them, passing very close to them. Valentina complained and the brunette looked for her girlfriend's gaze. "Did you think I was going to touch you? Because that would be very bad, because I'm not your girlfriend!" Juliana was testing her.

"That's fine then," it didn't seem fine at all.

"But since I'm misbehaving..." she moved her hands again, "I'm going to do it anyway." She didn't waste any time and grabbed Valentina's breasts; the blonde couldn't help but throw her head back, arching her back. "Is this misbehaving?" The athlete thought her voice was going to come out strong but she barely whispered when she saw the two nipples waiting for her hands. And Juliana did not make them wait, she went straight to them. "I know you want to moan," she told the blonde. "I know you're holding back to punish me." When the brunette took her nipples between her fingers, Valentina couldn't take it anymore and moaned. "That's what I wanted to hear," she took advantage of her girlfriend's position and trailed her lips along her neck before leaving a delicate kiss on her chin.

"Yes... yes... you keep on... behaving like this... and you will... continue alone!" The photographer was enjoying it without a doubt.

"Then we have a huge problem!" Juliana immediately separated from the blonde, who made her displeasure known with a loud snort.

"Which problem?" Asked Valentina frustrated, she did not like it when Juliana didn't finish what she started.

"That I LOVE to behave badly!" And without waiting any longer, she lifted the blonde's dress and her hand went straight to the centre of it.

"Juliana!" She had taken her by surprise. Her legs failed, but the player managed to hold her.

"Do you want me inside?" The brunette played with the humidity of her girlfriend.

"Please!" Valentina couldn't take it anymore.

"But I'll only do this for my girlfriend... and you said we weren't anymore..." At this point, not even, the brunette knew where she got the strength to continue with the game. If it were up to her, she would have made love to Valentina as soon as she saw her.

"Yes, you are..." she hastened to say, "you are my girlfriend!" She repeated, she needed her now.

"Valen, Kara sent me to check if everything was okay... OH MY GOD!" Lucia had the timing of her granddaughter.

"MOM!" It was unclear which of the Carvajal's were more embarrassed.

Valentina separated from the brunette, fixing her dress, and leaving her girlfriend with her head leaning against the wall. "Mom, can you go back outside please? We'll talk later and can you tell Kara that everything is fine," she asked her mother. The woman without looking at her daughter nodded her head and left. Valentina went back to look for her girlfriend. "What are you doing?" She found her taking something out of the fridge.

"I need to lower my temperature with something," she opened a bottle of water and poured it over her head.

"This is your fault!" She accused her with good reason.

"Is it my fault you're so damn beautiful? Is it my fault that every time I look at you I feel like ripping your clothes off and making love to you for hours?" Just thinking about it made her go crazy. "I need another bottle," she grabbed another bottle and did not hesitate to dump it over her face.

Valentina grabbed several napkins and approached the brunette, "Let me dry you baby," she began with her face.

"If you think calling me baby will help me cool down, you are wrong!" She warned. "I love you," she felt like she needed to say it.

"Much?" She loved hearing those three words from her girlfriend's mouth.

"More than Garfield loves lasagne!" She assured.

"What else?" This was one of Valentina's favourite games.

"More than Clark Kent to Lois Lane," she tried.

Valentina bit her lip while looking directly into Juliana's eyes. It was not an ordinary look; it was a look that tried to convey what the blonde had been thinking all week. She had to try and talk about her feelings with her. She had to know how far the brunette wanted their relationship to go. "Juls I..."

"Excuse me, Miss Carvajal," the catering manager entered the kitchen. "I know you asked for a few minutes but we need to bring the food to the clowns," he informed her.

"What did he say?" The brunette asked Valentina.

"We need to go out love, the clowns need to eat," the blonde signalled to the man authorising entry for him and his assistants.

"Cl... Cl... clowns? How many are we talking about?" The pale colour of Juliana's face was worrying.

"Juls... baby... Are you okay?" The brunette was clinging to her arm and Valentina could feel small tremors coming from her girlfriend's body.

"There are clowns... near here, somewhere... I can feel them!" The athlete looked around the kitchen.

The blonde thought that the lack of sex was affecting her girlfriend. "Love... What's wrong? Don't tell me that?... OH GOD... you are afraid of clowns!" Valentina couldn't help but laugh while saying it.

"Do not laugh. It's a real phobia. It's called coulrophobia or something like that!" Juliana suffered while her girlfriend laughed.

"Sorry love... it's just... Juliana Valdés is afraid of clowns!... 'The beast' is afraid of clowns!... The star player of Liberty is afraid of clowns!!!"

"WELL, THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING!" The brunette released her girlfriend and crossed her arms pouting.

"Awh... is my poor baby worried about the clowns?" Valentina was not going to let it go so easily.

"Let me know when you have finished making fun of me!" She was hurt.

"Juls, don't be mad... come on!" She grabbed her hand and started dragging her towards the exit.

"Where?" She asked nervously.

"To meet the clowns!" She said, dismissing her fear.

"ARE YOU CRAZY, DRUNK OR WHAT? I have decided that I am going to stay here with these nice people, they seem very friendly!" She pointed to the catering staff that weren't paying them any attention.

"Don't be a chicken! They are just ordinary people dressed in a costume!" The blonde did not understand how a woman who scored forty points every night against women much taller than her, could be afraid of clowns.

"THEY ARE NOT ORDINARY PEOPLE VALENTINA!... THEY ARE ANYTHING BUT ORDINARY!" Her breathing became agitated.

"How come you are not afraid of the zombies in those stupid games you play with Kara then?" The blonde tried to analyse her girl.

"First of all, treat Resident Evil with respect! And second, the zombies are dead, the cl... cl... clowns are very much alive and have creepy red smiles but they look angry and... and... and they wear gigantic clothes where they can hide anything..." a chill ran down her spine, "and the way they talk is the worst of all it's... it's scary! YEP, IT'S DECIDED, I'M STAYING HERE!" She sat in one of the free chairs. "Apologise to your mother, tell her I am sorry for having one of my hands on her daughter's chest and the other about to give her an orgasm." Okay, now the catering staff were interested and paying attention.

"JULIANA!" The red colour was becoming a common feature on the blonde's face. "WE'RE GETTING OUT OF HERE, RIGHT NOW!" She grabbed her girlfriend's hand and pulled hard. Obviously, she couldn't move her much. "Juls, if you don't want to sleep in your apartment tonight, start walking!" She threatened.

"I never go home, I just wait at the door until Kara opens it for me, then I sleep on the sofa," she confessed. The fear did not let her think clearly.

"I knew my treacherous rat of a daughter had something to do with it!" Valentina had suspected it all along.

"MOMMY!" Speaking of the treacherous rat. "You have to come to help me, Nikki and the other players are hogging the trampoline!" This time it was the little one who started pulling her mother. Valentina joined forces with her daughter.

"Is the trampoline near the clowns?" She asked nervously.

"It's on the other side of the garden love," her girlfriend explained patiently. "You don't have to worry." She tried to calm her down.

"What are you talking about?" Kara did not understand.

"Valentina, keep that beautiful and tempting mouth closed... please!"

"YOUR MOTHER IS AFRAID OF CLOWNS!!" It was stronger than her.

"SERIOUSLY?" The kangaroo couldn't hide her evil mini smile. She looked at her mother Valentina, the Carvajal connection was automatic. "LOOK A CLOWN!" Kara pointed behind the brunette.

Juliana ran away so fast that the Carvajal girls could only laugh while watching her silhouette disappear in a cloud smoke like the roadrunner. Not even the catering staff could hold their amusement.

"Let's go find her darling," was the last thing she said between laughs. Kara went to the trampoline and Valentina went to her group of friends. "Has anyone seen Juliana?" She asked as soon as she got to the table.

"Can you tell me why your mother, who just came back from looking for you, went straight to the alcohol table?" Lauren couldn't help but ask. "Were you and the sweetie doing something inappropriate? Were you doing something inappropriate without inviting me and Camz?" Lauren did not miss an opportunity.

"Lern don't start!" Valentina was distracted. The images had invaded her again. Apparently, her brunette, after making sure that the trampoline was well away from the clowns, had begun to play with the children. It was amazing how well she got along with the little ones, they followed her like the rats of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. And her vision of a future family with the brunette resurfaced.

"V... it's too early and you know it!" Lauren again read her thoughts.

"But I love her Lolo... I love her like I'm never going to love anyone else..." she confessed, "and I know she feels the same, I can see it in her eyes." She continued, "I mean... look at her," she pointed to the brunette who was again on the bottom of a human pyramid, but this time it was for children. "She... is... wonderful!" There were no other words. She couldn't help but laugh when Juliana pulled Nikki off the trampoline by force. "Do you want see something funny Lern?" The Latina nodded, "Excuse me, Mr. Clown." Valentina called one of the disguised men coming out of the kitchen.

"How can I help you miss?" The man asked politely.

"Could you go tell the brunette who is with the children that I need to talk to her?" She pointed to Juliana.

"Of course!" The man made his way towards the brunette.

"Was that supposed to be the funny thing V?" The Latina had no patience.

"Wait a minute. Just follow the clown!" She indicated.

They both watched as the man came up behind the brunette and touched her shoulder... But the next part they hadn't expected... Juliana with a right hook, punched the clown in the jaw and knocked him out.

"JULIANA!" Valentina and several others ran to help the collapsed man.

"VALENTINA!" The brunette was hiding behind her girlfriend's back while Lauren tried to revive the clown. "He tried to attack me!" She told her.

"He didn't try to attack you, I sent him over to speak to you!" It wasn't worth lying. Before she could speak again, she felt her girl begin to shake. "Love, he is unconscious, he can't do anything to you!" That was what she thought until she noticed the rest of the clowns on their way over. "Kara take your mommy over to the table!" She said to the girl. The little girl grabbed her mother's hand and they walked towards the cake table.

Luckily, the clown woke up after a few minutes and Valentina, with a good paycheque in hand, ended their performance at the party. "God!" she sighed. "Thank goodness they left. I do not want any more trouble," she commented to her friends.

"Are you sure the trouble is over?" Derek was pointing to the cake table. Valentina could see how Nikki and her daughter were holding her girlfriend by the arms, preventing her from approaching Sergio.

"Now what?" The whole group moved towards the commotion. "Juliana?" Valentina placed herself in front of the brunette, "Look at me!" She asked. "Juls... baby... look at me!" The athlete looked at her girlfriend, "Calm down." The blonde caressed her face. When Nikki and Kara felt her relax, they let her go.

"THIS IMBECIL STARTED IT!!" Nikki defended her friend.

"I only told the truth. Kara has only one mother, and her name is Valentina!" The blonde didn't know whether to calm her girlfriend or her daughter.

"CAN WE ALL MOVE AWAY FROM MY DESSERTS?" Asked the Latina.

"And this savage..." he pointed to the brunette, "she is a bad influence for the girl!"

Valentina could feel her girlfriend tense again and started to advance towards Lucho's boyfriend.

"Juls, don't do anything please," she begged.

"BE CAREFUL AROUND MY DESSERTS!" The Latina was obsessed.

"Love?" The basketball player looked into her blue eyes.

"I'm not going to hit him, I just want to talk to him," she gave her a short kiss. "I promise." Valentina let her pass.

"Tell me something Sergio... do you know what Kara's favourite colour is? Do you know why she wears a different pair of pyjamas every night? Do you know why her toothbrush has a name? Do you have any idea why she loves Saturday afternoons? Do you know why she brushes her hair every night? Do you know anything about her?" The silence in the place was sepulchral. Everyone was waiting for Sergio's answers that never came.

"And what does that have to do with..."

Juliana interrupted him. "Kara's favourite colour is blue because that is the colour of her mother's eyes. Every day she wears different pyjamas because she has such a big heart that she doesn't want any of them to feel abandoned. She loves Saturday afternoons because she found out that this is the time when Junior..." the not so little hippo that Juliana had brought her to meet, "plays with other hippos and that makes her happy because she doesn't like the hippopotamus being alone. She brushes her hair every night because she does it at the same time as her mother and if there is one thing that Kara loves, it is spending time with her mother!" All the spectators were now smiling. "And you know what else I know?" She asked without waiting for an answer. "I KNOW THAT I LOVE THAT GIRL. AND I KNOW SHE LOVES ME. I CHOSE HER AS MY DAUGHTER AND SHE CHOSE ME AS HER MOM..."

"AND WE DON'T GIVE A FUCK WHAT YOU THINK!" Added the little girl.

"And this is the sort of vocabulary you teach her?!" Said the idiot before turning around and walking away offended. Lauren breathed in relief.

"SERGIO WAIT!" The star player stopped him.

"You want to apologise, I suppose?" He said when he returned.

"No... but I don't want you to leave without getting dessert!" **_SPLAT!_** And Sergio got his just desserts; in fact, his whole face received the pie.

"MY DESSERTS!" The Latina screamed.

"Lucho, do something!" His boyfriend demanded, but the boy did not move. "Well then... I'll do it myself!" The man grabbed another cake and aimed at Juliana, but the agile athlete dodged it and the cake hit his boyfriend.

"CAN YOU STOP PLAYING WITH MY DESS..." **_SPLAT!_** Lauren received a pie in the face.

"CAMILAAAA!!!!" It had been her very own girlfriend.

"I'm sorry Lolo, but I am fed up listening to you go on about these damn desserts!" The dancer defended her action.

"What are you laughing at dumb blonde?" The lawyer had already lifted a cake and was pointing it towards Valentina.

"NOOOOO!" Juliana intercepted in the attack and received the dessert in her own face.

"YOU SAVED ME!" The blonde tried to clean her girlfriend's face.

"From that one, yes... but this one? No!" **_SPLAT!_** Lucia stamped her daughter with a strawberry cheesecake.

"MOM!" The photographer shouted.

"That was for the incident I had to witness in the kitchen!" And of course, a pie in the face cures everything.

"Hey kangaroo..." Juliana found her daughter trying to flee the dessert war. "Happy birthday!" **_SPLAT!_** Not even Kara was spared. "Are we not the sweetest family?" Asked the brunette, lifting her daughter before going to look for Valentina. She found her running away from her father who had just received a Kiwi cheesecake to the face. "Come here blonde." She grabbed her by the waist. "I LOVE YOU BOTH WITH ALL MY SOUL!" She told them kissing Kara on the cheek and Valentina on the lips. "Mmm... strawberries with cream."  
  



	34. 34: I want everything

** Casa Carvajal - Sunday morning **

The morning after Kara's epic and unforgettably sugary birthday, Valentina was standing in her bedroom doorway, breakfast tray in hand, admiring the woman in her bed.

She wanted to keep moving, she tried, but seeing her girlfriend sleeping, face down, with her naked torso hugging Valentina's pillow, it was just too much. She had to stop and look at every part of her girl to believe it was true, that her happiness had a reason for being, that her heart was beating for someone who was there, she could touch, hug and kiss at any moment.

Valentina couldn't help it; her mind had already moved to the next stage. She no longer had the doubts or insecurity that people have in their early moments of a relationship. Valentina knew that the woman in her bed, the woman she was watching at this precise moment, was the one she wanted by her side, not for a while, not for the rest of her life, but for the rest of eternity.

Valentina did not want to reincarnate in another life without knowing that the brunette was going to appear in her life in some way. If in her other life the blonde was a plant, Juliana had to be her land. If she were suddenly bitten by a spider that gave her superpowers and she discovered that she could fight crime by calling herself Spiderwoman... then the athlete had to be her Mary Jane. The thing is, she didn't care when, where or how but Juliana had to be in her life. A life without her brunette was not life.

Needless to say, if her girlfriend were to reincarnate into something, Valentina was sure it would be orgasms. People would say 'I had a Juliana' or 'You don't know the multi-Juliana she gave me!' Because her girl was fucking good in bed.

The night before Valentina had to convince her daughter that it was not time for her other mother to teach her how to ride her new motorcycle, but instead time to go to go sleep. As the photographer entered her bedroom, she did not even have time to unhook a button before 'the beast' attacked. Well, one less shirt. But this time there were no bathroom lock-ins or chasing around the apartment. Valentina let the brunette do whatever she wanted with her, because she knew that she would also do whatever she wanted with the body of the basketball player, several times, continuously and with millions of feelings involved.

A movement on the bed brought the blonde out of her thoughts. Valentina watched as Juliana, without raising her head from the pillow or opening her eyes, searched with her left arm for the blonde, patting the other side of the mattress. Trying to make as little noise as possible, she put the tray on the dresser and went straight to the bed.

Just as in Bolivia there is 'La ruta del Che', 'La ruta Carvajal' is the path that Valentina will follow, kiss for kiss, until she reaches her perdition. Once she was at the foot of the bed, she silently reached down and placed a kiss on her girl's so-called Achilles heel.

"What the...!" Juliana jumped at the contact and tried to pull her leg away.

"Shhhhh!" The photographer calmed her girl while holding her leg in place. "Relax brunette, I'm not a clown!" She said, unable to prevent the next kiss from including a smile.

"That's not funny!" She managed to mutter before feeling the photographer's lips on the back of her knee.

"What if I was disguised as a clown?" If those who are afraid of heights are made to climb stairs then there had to be a way for her girlfriend to face her fears. While she waited for the answer, she continued her route that little by little approached dangerous terrain.

"Thanofair." I'm pretty sure no one understood what Juliana meant.

"Baby, if you talk into the pillow, I cannot understand what you are saying." And to make it even more difficult, Valentina's mouth had just reached the only garment Juliana was wearing, which unfortunately for the photographer covered the brunette's muscular bottom.

Juliana turned her head. "That's not fair!" Now she understood.

"Imagine this..." with her legs placed on each side of her girl she was ready to address her fear. "You are alone in a room..." she leaned in such a way that with her teeth she grabbed the fabric that covered Juliana's butt, but not only did she get the fabric, but also a little skin as well.

The athlete let her know that she had felt it with a soft moan. "Go on... go on!" She asked.

"With the conversation or with my route?" Asked the blonde pretending to be innocent.

"With both... with everything... with whatever you want!" It was difficult to decide.

Valentina smiled. "You are alone in a room..." she left a soft kiss on the part she had previously bit, "with nowhere to run..." This time she did not have so much mercy, this time the fabric went unnoticed and Valentina did not wait for the moan of her girl, she continued to climb. "And I arrived... dressed as a clown," her path continued along the small of her back. The map indicated that she had to go all the way up her spine, "I don't have big shoes... I'm wearing heels..." her lips rested on the small hole that was drawn when the brunette arched her back. "My pants are red, and are full of black polka dots," the blonde could feel with each kiss, the soft tremors in Juliana's body, although she was not sure what caused them. "But they are not large or loose, on the contrary, it is well adjusted to my body..."

"Very tight?" Asked the athlete who was about to bite the pillow.

"So, so tight that..." she kissed the back of her neck and then moved to whisper directly into her ear, "so so tight that the clown could not put on her underwear!" Valentina could feel how the brunette began to look for friction against the mattress, and to prevent the movement she decided to sit on her girl's back. "You have to let me finish the story!" She warned.

"What about the top?" In her head the brunette had already set up the scene and she also wanted to complete it.

"Two braces..." she said without hesitation as she resumed her path, which was now focused on the ink drawings on her girlfriend's arm.

"And what else?" She asked curious, clowns often had those horrendous shirts with large ruffles.

"Nothing else..." she was already on to the player's marked biceps, "just that... two braces covering each of my nipples..." the blonde felt movement under her again, "if you keep moving this tour ends here." She warned again. "I still have to cover your other side." Valentina had already reached Juliana's hand, she kissed each of her fingers.

"Do you have paint on your face?" The brunette wanted to finish this as soon as possible.

"Only strawberry flavour lip balm on my mouth," she said, then grabbed her little finger between her teeth.

"Mmm... strawberry... I love it." Her mouth actually watered.

"I know." She came to the middle one and dedicated much more time to it. "What would you do? What would you do with this little clown?" She asked but not before finishing her tour.

"You're asking it wrong." Juliana said.

"Asking it wrong?" The blonde reviewed her question in her mind, she knew she had said it correctly.

"Yes!" Valentina did not know how, but the brunette managed to turn her over and was now on top of her. "The question is, what wouldn't I do to the little clown?!" And it goes without saying that Valentina had several _'Juliana'_ that morning.

~~~~~~

"I love you," said the brunette leaning on her stomach while Valentina ran her index finger over her tattoos.

"Much?" Valentina's favourite game.

"More than Harry to Sally!" Apparently, the answers would come from movies this time.

"And?" The blonde couldn't take her eyes off the tattoos on her girl's arm, they fascinated her.

"More than Jack to Rose." She referred to Titanic this time.

"Tell me more!" She demanded.

"More than Edward to Bella." This one was thanks to Kara who had made her watch the Twilight movies.

"You have to say another because that one was quite weak!" Valentina knew that she had only learnt it recently.

Juliana thought, "More than Beauty to the Beast!" She finally said.

"You need a lot more practice!" She said laughing as she returned her gaze to the tattoos. "You know you're my favourite piece of art, right?" If it weren't for the fact that Valentina doesn't like to share her with anyone, she would have already photographed her and would be exhibiting it in a gallery.

"Even the dark parts?" The brunette still did not accept them.

"Baby... can you come up and let me look into those eyes that drive me crazy?" The photographer asked, making the brunette practically climb up until their gazes were level. "Especially those parts. Those parts made you the woman you are today. They made you my girlfriend. BECAUSE OF THEM, I love you more than any romantic movie can ever demonstrate." Neither of them blinked, they were captivated by each other.

The trance did not last long, because as soon as they heard the door open, they separated quickly and the brunette managed to cover them both with the sheet. "Is it ok to come in?" Kara entered her mother's room with one hand covering her eyes and the other covering Puppy's eyes.

The adults looked at each other and Valentina had to ask. "Honey, why are you covering your eyes?" The blonde did not understand how her daughter could have imagined that she could be naked with Juliana in her bed. She had talked to the little girl about those things, but only the little seed part, not the fun part.

"Because Mommy Juls told me that it is always better to enter your room like this to avoid future traumas!" Which had not happened. "I have to cover my eyes until I'm twelve, because I can see things that I am not going to want to see. From twelve to fifteen I have to keep going in with my hand over my eyes but I can peek through my fingers." She stopped to breathe.

Luckily, Juliana had gotten up to look for her clothes and had her back to the blonde, otherwise she would die from the looks she was receiving. "And after you are fifteen?" Who knows how many more cats this woman was going to kill?

"After fifteen I can enter without covering my eyes because otherwise, I'll be missing the good stuff!" Replied the girl who seemed to repeat Juliana's lessons as if she had recorded them.

"Juliana?!"

"Honey, I don't know where the girl gets these things from, I swear!" She had to save herself somehow.

"But that's what you told me the other day, remember when I told you that I had entered the dressing room of mom's models?" Kara was not going to sink without taking the brunette with her.

"WELL, FINE. YOU CAN REMOVE YOUR HAND NOW!!" She said, now that she was already dressed.

"Can we have breakfast?" Asked the girl with a malicious laugh.

"Come here treacherous rat!" Juliana went to grab her but the girl, like a good kangaroo, quickly jumped on to the bed followed by Puppy.

"Mami! Help!" Valentina hugged her daughter, protecting her while Puppy started barking at the athlete.

"Hiding in your mother's arms. Coward!" She pointed at her daughter, "And you!" She said, pointing at the puppy. "You're going to need me to defend you from Tlacoyo again!" Apparently Camz's cat tried to attack Kara's pet every time he had a chance. "And you..." she pointed to Valentina...

"Is there problem? I think the sofa is already missing you!" Valentina Carvajal always has an ace up her sleeve.

"No problem love... I'm going to heat our breakfast now," she grabbed the tray that Valentina had left and walked to the door.

"COWARD!" The little girl yelled before flowing her out.

" ** _Lesson number_**..." she didn't even remember.

" ** _63!_** _" -_ the girl helped her.

" ** _Lesson #63:_** _Anything before the couch!'_ Got it?" She asked.

"Understood!" Said the kangaroo.

~~~~~~

Since Juliana began sleeping in their house, Kara had created a Sunday custom to have breakfast in her mothers' bed. The little girl loved that moment. She loved being able to sit on her mommy Juls while her other mother made her toast.

"Why do I have to go out with my grandparents?" She asked crossing her arms as she finished her chocolate milk.

"Because they return to Miami tonight and want to spend time with you before they go," explained the older blonde.

"But today we were going to learn to use the motorcycle... right mommy?" The girl raised her head to look at her athletic mother.

"Erm..." Kara's gaze was making it impossible for the brunette to resist. "Valentina, I think..." Oops mother kangaroo's look kills baby kangaroo's look.

"Listen kangaroo, the bike is not going anywhere, we can practice any day. On the other hand, you won't see your grandparents until next month at Lauren and Camila's wedding." She tried to make her reason. "Besides... if you go with your grandparents, I'll let you accompany me on Wednesday!" She announced to Valentina's surprise, she limited herself to raising both eyebrows while watching as the conversation between her daughter and her girlfriend continued.

"Seriously?" Asked the excited girl who, seeing how her mother nodded, threw herself around her neck. "OKAAYYY!" Leaving Valentina more and more intrigued.

"Time out!" The gesture had stuck. The other two looked at her excitedly. "I don't need to be congratulated every time I get it right!" She told them while riling her eyes. "Do you want to explain what's happening on Wednesday? Where will she accompany you?" She asked.

"On Wednesday I'm going to get Kara's tattoo," she informed her, like she was talking about the weather.

"SORRY?" That information had not clarified things for the blonde. "Kara's tattoo?" She wanted answers.

"Yeah, it's Kara's because that tattoo will reflect her in my story, if that makes sense." She clarified.

Valentina said nothing. She got up and went into the bathroom. Juliana followed her with her eyes, these Carvajal women and their pouting drove her crazy.

"Go change kangaroo, your grandparents will arrive soon. Are you going to take Puppy?" She asked just before the girl managed to leave the room.

"Grandma Lucia told mom that if she had to be careful that I was not out there conquering hearts, then she could not pay attention to a dog too!" The girl had a natural ability to say outrageous things.

"Hey... And why do you think my parents never bought me a dog?" One more anecdote.

"Why?" Kara asked innocently.

"Because when I had a rabbit, I gave it to the first girl who smiled at me. When I had a hamster, I gave it to the maid's daughter just because she called me pretty. And my poor canary escaped as soon as I opened the door of the cage because one of my friends thought he looked sad locked up." Juliana noticed how her daughter was lost in thought. "I think it's better for Puppy to stay with us... Now go change!" She gave her a push to get her out of the room. _'I really need to learn to shut up in front of the girl!'_ She told herself before grabbing the breakfast tray and taking it to the kitchen. She was going to give her girlfriend time to take a shower and then she would talk to her.

** Still in the Carvajal home - Half an hour later **

"Did my parents come looking for Kara?" She asked finally leaving her room. She had taken her time, but she was already showered and ready to face her girlfriend. She had thought about it, she was going to look her directly in the eyes and she was going to ask her directly _'Juliana, where is this going?'_ She would not hesitate. Sure, as she always was, just as she had everyone at her feet in high school, and now as the best photographer in New York. She is a Carvajal... and a Carvajal never hesitates... "OH MY GOD!" Was it necessary that Juliana, after having showering in the other bathroom, was now changing in the middle of the living room? What was it that Valentina wanted to tell her?

"Just a little while ago. They asked me to pass on their greetings. Are you ready to go out?" She asked as she finished putting on her shirt.

Valentina heard 'go out' and came out of shock "Go out? Where?" The blonde didn't know they had plans.

"For a walk, to the park or wherever you want. It is a beautiful day," she stretched out her hand, waiting for the photographer to take it. Valentina didn't think twice. Holding hands with her girlfriend was one of her favourite things.

** At the park **

They tried to avoid several journalists by taking a taxi and knew they would probably find more in the park but they didn't care.

"Do you want to tell me why you got upset about the tattoo?" They had been avoiding the issue since. "Please say something, remember that I always want you to be honest with me," she appealed to the promise they had made.

Valentina stopped walking. "You said that I was going to choose your other tattoos," she said in a low voice almost ashamed.

"Is that it?" Juliana couldn't help but smile.

"I don't know what you find so funny!" The blonde let go of her girlfriend's hand and resumed her walk, speeding up her steps to get away from her girlfriend.

"Ugh," the brunette sighed and began to follow her until she managed to grab her by the waist and turn her. "It's not funny, it's cute!" She clarified.

"It's silly!" Valentina began to blush. "Because Kara is your daughter and she has every right to choose her tattoo... I mean your tattoo... OH GOD! On Wednesday she is going to start asking for one for herself!" She had just thought about the consequences.

"Don't worry about that darling, I'll handle it!" Juliana assured her. "As for the other, you still have the power," she grabbed her hand to move again.

"Power over what?" She really didn't understand.

"Well Kara and the rest will choose theirs, but you will choose for everyone else." The brunette tried to keep walking but something didn't let her. She turned to look at her girlfriend and noticed that Valentina was looking at her in a strange intense way. "What's wrong?" She asked approaching her, "Are you feeling okay?"

"What did you say?" She needed to hear it again.

"I asked you if you were feeling okay... seriously, darling, you worry me." She brought her hand to her girlfriend's forehead to check her temperature.

Valentina gently took her hand between hers, "Before that," she insisted again.

Juliana thought and realised her mistake, "Eh... just that... hmm... that Kara can choose hers but you will choose the rest," she tried to rectify her answer.

"That's not what you said! Say it exactly as you said it before." She pressed. "And don't you dare try to deceive me!" She warned.

The athlete took a breath. _'God help me!'_ she thought. "I said that Kara and the rest are going to choose theirs, but you will choose for everyone else," she immediately avoided her girlfriend's gaze.

"Juliana look at me!" She ordered, but the brunette refused. "Juls, look at me please?" She tried to do it gently but had the same results. "Baby... I want to see those beautiful eyes." That never fails, immediately she found them. "What do you mean by 'the rest'?" The moment had come.

"Valentina, sorry, I didn't mean..."

"Answer me please," it was more a plea than an order.

And with those eyes in front her, Juliana simply could not lie. "The rest of our children," she blurted out.

"Do you... you... want to have children... with me?" The blonde thought she was dreaming.

The brunette couldn't hold back anymore, she let go of her girlfriend and began to walk from one side to the other nervous. "YES! Yes... I know it's early, we've only been dating for a few months and I've probably slept more times on your sofa than with you, but I can't help it."

Juliana kept moving around, waving her arms while Valentina watched her. "I... I... I want everything with you, do you understand? I want to live with you, I want to marry you, I want to have many children with you. Do you know how many balls to the face I have received in training because I was watching Kara play on the side of the court? Hundreds Valentina, hundreds! And... I have endured hundreds of screams from the coach just because I was imagining six or seven mini-Valentina playing with her, I can't help it. I love you and loving you is the only thing I want to continue doing for the rest of my life." She stopped to look at her girl, although she could not hold her gaze so she chose to lower her head. "I understand if you think it's too soon and need a break from me," she whispered.

The basketball player could feel how the blonde walked towards her and stopped a few inches from her body, all Juliana could see were her girlfriend's feet. _'Even her feet are fucking sexy,'_ she thought.

Valentina lifted her girl's chin, stared into her eyes for a second until she spoke. "Six or seven? Doesn't that sound like a lot? I think after Kara, maybe five more would be okay!" She smiled.

The transformation of Juliana's face was quite a spectacle, from the saddest grimace of pain to the biggest smile in the world. She grabbed her girlfriend by the waist and lifted her. "I LOVE YOU; I LOVE YOU; I LOVE YOU!" She screamed while kissing her. She did not care that at that moment several cameras were pointed at them, she did not care about the people who were watching them, she did not care about anything.

"How about we start by living together?" The blonde was encouraged.

"I thought we already were?" Said the brunette taking her girlfriend's hand again and pulling her away. Where? It didn't matter. The important thing was that they went together.  
  



	35. 35: Meow, Meow, Meow

** In a New York boutique - Wednesday afternoon **

"Can you calm down please?" Valentina was getting tired of watching her friend pace from one side of the store to the other.

"How do you want me to calm down? I've been trying for fucking hours to find the perfect place for my firm's New Year's Eve party and it seems it is too late to book anywhere. And as if that were not enough stress... this is my last dress fitting, the dress that I will be wearing on my wedding day V, MY WEDDING! OH MY GOD, I'M GETTING MARRIED!" Lauren grabbed a bridal magazine and started to fan herself.

"What happened to the place you used last year?" Valentina was referring to the country house that the Latina had gotten for the previous party.

"Apparently, the owner had a mishap with a truck," she said while trying to make a new call.

"A mishap with a truck? What happened?" The cat killer strikes again.

"The truck didn't see him when he was crossing the street or something like that," the lawyer downplayed it.

"LAUREN! Did he get hit by a truck?" The blonde could not believe the lightness with which her friend treated the subject.

"Do I look like a police officer, or a coroner or something like that? The real issue now is that I have to find somewhere else... could you focus on helping me?! You have influences!" She reminded her.

"I've already talked to everyone Laur. It's the first week of the holidays, everyone will be using their country houses. I think you should just cancel the party." She recommended.

"ARE YOU LISTENING TO YOURSELF?" She couldn't believe what Val was saying. "Valentina... MY PARTY is one of the most epic in all of New York! Everyone in the office looks forward to this time of year just because they know that the great Lauren Jauregui's party will change their lives!" Valentina rolled her eyes at what her friend was saying. "Even our friends beg to be on the list!" She blurted out.

"That was just one time! When you took Sam and Derek off the list last year because you heard them talking about Camila's butt!" She reminded her.

"Do not remind me! Every time I remember their drooling faces, I want to..." she paused to think and after a few seconds she took out her iPad.

"What are you doing?" Asked Valentina.

"Removing Gray and Sam from the guest list!" She said very confidently.

"LAUREN!" The blonde jumped up from the chair and snatched the device. "Stop that! Besides, it was you who insisted that Camila would be the first test!" Apparently, the incident had occurred during the 'Test of the Holy Trinity'.

"But I didn't think they would fail at the first hurdle!" But she was wrong. As soon as the boys spotted the dancer in her bikini, they were both drooling over her.

"No one ever passes the first hurdle Laur!" They both laughed at the memory. The test of the 'Holy Trinity' consisted of Valentina, Lauren, and Camila, showing themselves in 'inappropriate' situations, so to speak, in front of the boyfriend or girlfriend who was being tested. Generally, they were in a bikini or underwear, but always with very little clothing. They paraded themselves in a very sexy way and one by one they strutted around in front of their victim. If the judge, normally Mariana or Shane, noticed that the girl was harassed by ogling, the victim lost the test, but if not, she made a sign for the next distraction to enter, the next 'test' so to speak.

"Do you remember Finn?" The Latina asked her friend. The test of the 'Holy Trinity' dated back to high school. "He did not even make it until Camz took off her shorts!" Finn had been the first, the guinea pig of Lauren's invention to measure the fidelity of Valentina's boyfriend at the time.

"Yes well, he was not exactly good at resisting temptations, even before the show two you put on that day!" Valentina always knew that Finn was going to fail the test.

"It was funny! And when Lucho was your boyfriend, he didn't last long either! As soon as Mila showed her bra, Lucho wanted into her pants!" No one could resist the dancer. "And Sara?" Lauren began to laugh, "She almost devoured my girlfriend in the pool!" The model had not succeeded either.

"Do I have to remind you that when we tested Camila... I was the first obstacle and all I had to do was stare at her?" The dancer was one of the easiest prey in the game.

"Just wait until it's the sweetie's turn!" She warned.

"It's not necessary yet, I'll decide when." She announced while looking at one of the magazines.

"Speaking of the sweetie... Did she finish moving in?" At least this subject had reassured her friend.

"Yep!" She answered while continuing to look through the magazine. "After I managed to throw all of you out for perving on her!" Valentina will always remember the day of the move because it was the day, she wanted to throw all her friends down the stairs.

"Hey, it wasn't our fault! Was it necessary for the hottie to wear those clothes?" Juliana had put on the oldest clothes she had because she knew that she would end up all stained and dirty from carrying the boxes. The problem was that the old clothes she wore consisted of extremely torn jeans, that revealed the brunette's underwear, and a baggy T-shirt, but as soon as Juliana felt it was beginning to annoy her, she took it off. Of course, she did not stay that way for long. After Lauren's second comment about her girlfriend's stomach, Valentina, sent the brunette to change. Obviously, her friends didn't last long either.

"I imagine you christened the new mattress?!" She said mischievously.

"I did... but Juliana christened the new sofa! Luckily, we chose a bigger one because every time my girlfriend sleeps there, Kara and the puppy join her, and as my daughter grows, I am sure it will not be very comfortable." The most important reason for the new of sofa.

"Now what did she do?" Asked the Latina.

"Better question, what didn't she do? Kara's list on the fridge is endless." That's right, the girl kept a record of her mothers' mistakes. It was a long sheet that Kara had divided with a line, on one side it said Mommy Juls and on the other Mami Valentina. The difference was that the brunette's side was almost full while the blonde's side was empty. The little girl called it 'the couch list'.

"Let's see... First, I found a few X-rated items in one of her many moving boxes, and according to my girlfriend, she forgot she had!" Poor Juliana couldn't save herself.

"Magazines or videos?" While asking the question Lauren had decided to start trying on some of the clothes in the shop. They were still waiting for the dressmaker to show up with their dresses.

"Videos... What do you think of this dress?" Valentina also decided to try on some clothes.

"I don't like the colour... Jessica Larsson again?" She disapproved of the dress and at the same time asked about the videos.

"No, this time they were... homemade... so their immediate destination was the fire!" A great big bonfire in Valentina Carvajal's kitchen. "Can you stop imagining my girlfriend and hand me that shirt?" The blonde had already seen her friend's face.

"Here... What else did she do?" Lauren calculated that a night on the couch must equal two or three mistakes on the list.

"Siding with Kara!" She replied. When she saw that the Latina wanted a longer answer, she continued. "Lucho wants Kara to spend a week of her vacation with him in Los Angeles. And of course, my daughter does not want to spend a week with Sergio..." nobody really wanted anything to do with the bitch. "And of course, it does not help that she and my girlfriend have thousands of things planned for the holidays!" She finished her explanation.

"I still don't understand why the hottie went to the couch for that!" The lawyer insisted.

"Well, I was only two seconds away from convincing my daughter to go, when Juliana arrived and announced, as if nothing, that during that same week she is going to take Kara with her to all her matches. So, we had a huge argument and my girlfriend ended up on the sofa and so did my daughter!" There was nothing else to explain.

"Then what happened?" Something had to have happened.

"Nothing. When I woke up this morning Juliana had gone for a run and my daughter would not speak to me." The silent treatment was very common among the Carvajal ladies.

"Forgive me." A woman who seemed very stressed arrived and spoke to the friends. It's impossible not to be stressed out when you're the dressmaker for Lauren Jauregui and Camila Cabello.

"Mrs. Jackson you are half an hour late!" Lauren attacked.

"I'm sorry but it wasn't my fault, your fiancée and her other friends wouldn't stop talking." Mrs. Jackson had been with the other bride and her bridesmaids, Mariana and Shane, completing the last dress fittings. Valentina and Kara were Lauren's bridesmaids. "When I was finally able to get Miss Cabello into the dressing room for her final measurements, Mrs Shane decided to show her a photo of a certain Juliana on her cell phone and..."

"What did you say? A PHOTO OF WHO?" Apparently, the dressmaker did not know the inner dynamics of the group.

"Of a certain Juliana?" The older woman replied surprised. "Anyway, I'm here, we can start with you... and where is your lovely daughter Miss Carvajal?" Apparently, Kara had already displayed her charms with the dressmaker.

Valentina didn't answer because as soon as she heard about the photo, she grabbed her cell phone to call Shane. She knew they had photos from moving day.

"We can start with mine; the little mouse will arrive in a while." The Latina spoke. In fact, she wasn't sure how long Kara would be, it depended on how long the brunette's tattoo took. "Valentina is going to be a while convincing Shane to delete those photos, it could go either way!" God only knows.

"Okay then, here is your dress. I will go in with you to help you and check to see if any last-minute adjustments need to be made." The woman pushed Lauren towards the dressing room, the sooner she finished with this couple the better.

"It's not negotiable! Delete those photographs from your cell phone immediately or you can forget the photos for your album... How can you get another photographer cheaper?... Shane... Hello... Hello... She cut me off!" Valentina was talking to one of the store employees who, because she was not rude, listened to her. "Can you believe it? She cut me off!" The girl shook her head. "Can you bring us a latte and a black coffee please?" She asked the same employee who without hesitation went quickly to fulfil her client's wish.

Valentina sat down to wait for her friend to try on her dress when suddenly the light went out. A small hand covered her right eye and another, a little bigger, covered her left eye. "If you guess who we are, you win a prize," said a girl's voice.

"Two prizes!" Added a different voice.

"Let me guess..." Valentina pretended to think, "It can't be my daughter because she hasn't spoken to me since last night and it can't be my girlfriend either because she didn't even kiss me good morning... so you must be my lover and my secret daughter?" As soon as she finished saying it, both hands released her.

"What lover?" Juliana asked.

"What secret daughter?" Asked Kara.

When the older blonde could see both faces, she couldn't help but laugh. "Hahaha you should see your faces!" The photographer couldn't stop.

"It's not funny!" Her girlfriend said crossing her arms.

"Not at all!" Her daughter imitated the brunette's gesture.

"Now, stop pouting and give me my prizes!" Ordered the blonde.

The little girl was the first to approach with a card that she must have made at school. The word 'Sorry' could clearly be read. "I'm sorry mom. I will go stay with Dad and I promise to try to behave and not annoy the bitch, I mean Sergio." She said it all in a voice that was impossible to refuse.

"You are forgiven honey. And I allow you to do to whatever you want to Sergio!" Her daughter smiled; everything was fine. "The other gift?" Now she looked at the brunette.

"Here." She also handed her a card that said 'Sorry'. Apparently, this had been planned. "Love, I want to apologise for the supporting actresses in my movies, from now on you will be the only one to star in them!" It was the best she could come up with.

"What movies?" Asked the girl innocently.

"No kangaroo, it's just..."

Valentina noticed the sudden silence and raised her face to look at her girlfriend, Juliana was staring towards the changing rooms. "What's wrong?" The answer was obvious as soon as she turned around and saw her friend standing in her wedding dress.

"Lauren..." Juliana spoke first. "You're... you're..." she started to say.

"Beautiful!" Finished Valentina.

"Aunt Lolo marry me!" The little girl made the others laugh.

"Calm little tiger, you don't want to leave your other aunt without a girlfriend, do you?" Juliana calmed the mini beast. "But seriously, Lolo..." she approached the Latina, "Camila won't be able to pronounce 'I do!' when she sees you dressed like that!" She said.

"I know, I look amazing!" This is the Lauren we all know.

"Can we continue with the other dresses?" Asked the dressmaker. "I see the little girl is already here."

"Wait a moment Mrs. Jackson," asked the photographer, "I need to see something first," she went to Juliana.

"What thing honey?" She knew what she meant but she liked to see her girlfriend anxious.

"I want to see the tattoo. You told me it was a surprise, well, it's time to show me!" She pressed.

"I am not interested in the tattoo, but if the sweetie needs to remove some clothes that is fine with me!" Confessed the Latina, earning a reproachful look from her maid of honour.

"Come with me." Valentina grabbed the brunette's hand and pulled her into a dressing room.

As soon as they entered, she closed the door and immediately began to undress her girl. "Aren't you very desperate my love?" The brunette joked as she raised her arms to help her girlfriend.

"Turn around please." She ordered impatiently.

"Can I do something first?" Asked the athlete.

"What?" She asked reluctantly. Valentina couldn't take it anymore; she had been obsessing about her part of the brunette's tattoo for days and she couldn't think of anything worthwhile. She wanted to know what her daughter had demanded.

"This..." Juliana pressed the blonde against one of the walls in the dressing room and kissed her. She had to calm her down.

"I HOPE THAT THUD DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU ARE HAVING SEX IN THE ROOM I HAVE TO CHANGE IN! BECAUSE THE LEAST YOU COULD DO IS INVITE ME!!!" They heard Lauren scream.

Juliana separated from her girlfriend. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST SAID THAT WHILE WEARING YOUR WHITE WEDDING DRESS!!" She answered the Latina.

"Juliana." Valentina called her.

"Yes, my love." She answered.

"Kiss me again." She ordered.

"With pleasure!" With much pleasure.

"Will they take long?" Asked the dressmaker. "I have other clients," she said to Lauren.

"Mrs. Jackson, do you know what they call the brunette?" The woman shook her head in denial. "They call her 'The Beast', so imagine how long they will be inside! I think you should take a seat beside the girl!" She pointed to Kara sitting in one of the armchairs in the store.

"Think of the money!" The woman muttered to herself as she walked towards the chair.

~~~~~~

"Wow! I must admit that as much as I love the noises you make; silent sex is now a favourite too!" Juliana confessed hugging her girlfriend.

"You are my favourite." Valentina clarified.

"Your only! Which is different." She corrected.

Valentina kissed her. "Baby... I want to see the tattoo please?" She no longer had the strength to demand.

Juliana looked at her for a few seconds before turning around. "You're going to have to help me with the bandage, love," she said.

The blonde approached and slowly removed the bandage that covered the tattoo. "I can't believe it... it's... it's..."

"One... the hippopotamus! We even took him with us as a model," she told her. "Well? What do you think?" She needed her girl's approval.

"It is perfect. It's my daughter!" The tattoo screamed Kara wherever you looked at it.

"I know and it was her idea, can you believe it?... Thank you for giving me such a wonderful daughter," the basketball player approached Valentina again.

"DO YOU TWO EVER STOP? I'M HUNGRY! AND NOW WE HAVE TO WAKE MRS. JACKSON!" Apparently, the woman had found the chair very comfortable.

Juliana came out to find the Latina shaking the dressmaker. "Was it a dream or am I still with the crazy Latina and her sex mad friends?" She woke up.

"You are still with us!" Lauren communicated. "Valentina and Kara have been waiting for you in the dressing room for half an hour!" She lied.

"Oh my God!" The woman got up quickly, grabbed the two dresses and went into the dressing room.

"Hey sweetie..." Lauren called the attention of the athlete, "about your home videos..." she hinted.

"Do not even try to joke about that Lauren, Camz already showed me some of the home videos you two made on her cell phone!" The future wives had no moral power to make fun of anyone.

"WHAT?" The Latina was going to be a widow before reaching the altar.

"Yep... and not just me... but the rest of the group as well! Apparently, Camila is very proud of your performance!" Juliana had to hold back her laughter at the panicked face on the Latina. "Let me tell you... the part I like the most was when you were playing Señor and Señora Tlacoyo... What did you call her?" Juliana couldn't remember her friend's line in the movie. "Camila says, 'Mr. T, what are you doing here?'" The brunette tried to imitate the voice of the dancer. "And you answer her... what was it?" She really couldn't remember.

"Shut up, Valdés! I don't know what you're talking about!" The Latina defended herself.

Juliana went to the door of the dressing room and knocked, "LOVE, HOW DID MR. TLACOYO ANSWERS HIS LADY?" She asked her girlfriend in code.

"I CAME TO GET MY BELLY RUBBED MEOW, MEOW, MEOW!!" Answered the blonde.

"OH MY GOD!! I'M GOING TO KILL CAMILA!!" She held her head in her hands as she sat on the sofa.

"Calm down Lolo..." Juliana patted her on the back. "Val suggested a clown!" She confessed.

The lawyer raised her head in surprise. "Could you do it?" Lauren knew the brunette's fear.

"Do you think I care? If Valentina wants a clown, I'll learn to juggle... If Valentina wants a puppy, I'll buy the leash... If Valentina wants a policeman, I'll put on a uniform and... If Valentina wants a kitten, I'll let her rub my tummy, MEOW, MEOW, MEOW!!" Juliana couldn't let it go.

"YOU ARE AN IDIOT!" The Latina began to hit the player with a pillow.

"HEY, HEY... RELAX TIGER... OR SHOULD I SAY KITTEN? HAHAHA!!" Juliana had to protect herself from Lauren's furious attack.

"Can you stop fighting and pay attention to us?" Kara complained about the lack of attention.

Juliana was speechless. There were her girlfriend and daughter holding hands and looking prettier than ever, **_WHACK!_** A cushion to the face. "What are you doing?" She scolded the Latina.

"Never let your guard down, sweetie!" She warned.

Juliana ignored her and went to stand in front of her two favourite ladies. "I must be in heaven because I'm only seeing angels!" She whispered to them, embarrassing the little girl who hid behind her mother. The brunette bent down to talk to her daughter. "Pooh Bear, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. You look like a little princess." If her mother was the queen, she could easily be a princess. After giving her daughter a kiss on the forehead, she stood and looked directly into Valentina's eyes. "When I think you can't possibly get more beautiful, you surpass yourself every day." Her girlfriend's red blush was her downfall, she approached the blonde's ear and whispered. "Do you want to bet on how long that dress will last you?" Difficult to say which of the two Carvajal ladies was more flushed.

"Well, my work here is done!" The dressmaker had spent enough time with the crazy brides and their friends. "I'll see you on the day of the wedding," without looking back she left the premises as fast as she could.

"Is there any chance that you three beautiful ladies will allow me to invite you for something to eat?" Juliana asked.

"Prepare your wallet sweetie because you are even paying for the takeout, I'm ordering for Camz!" Lauren said as she left. Apparently, she was still offended.

"Should I lay the royal carpet?" She asked her blondes who were just recovering their normal colour. They both smiled. The effect Juliana had on the Carvajal women was phenomenal.

** At one of Kara's favourite dining spots **

"So, I can go to both hen parties, right?" The brunette asked to be sure. "Mariana and Shane will stay with Camila while yours is happening, and Valentina will stay with you while Camila's is happening. But I can attend both, right?" She needed confirmation.

"Don't get so excited! Camila's mother, aunt, sisters and even the damn heifer Mr Tlacoyo will be at her hen party so I don't think it'll be that exciting!"

"Lolo, I think your cell phone is ringing." The older blonde informed her.

"I hope it's good news. It's the last venue on the list. Pray for me!" She asked them before getting up from the table to answer her phone.

"What is she talking about?" Juliana asked as she left a kiss on the head of Kara, who was already asleep in her arms.

"She cannot get a venue for her firm's New Year's Eve party. She organises it every year," she explained. "Apparently, the man who rented her the country house last year has recently passed away. And now she is frantically looking for somewhere else to hold it." She left a short kiss on the lips of her girlfriend. "I love you." She took the opportunity to tell her.

Ever since Juliana had revealed the reasons for touching her all the time, Valentina found herself pursuing the contact and even moving her own chair to sit closer to the brunette. She loved to feel their bodies connected in some way. And here they were now, Kara snuggled on top of Juliana while the athlete had her hand on her girlfriend's leg.

"Damn it! I'm going to have to cancel 'The Lolo Party'!" Lauren names everything. "Everyone in the office is going to hate me. Most of the secretaries rely on my party to be able to sleep with one of the partners of the firm and secure their future by blackmailing them. Do you realise the responsibility I feel at this moment?" The Latina rested her forehead on the table. "The party gossip lasts all year! And now what are we going to talk about? Work? It will be the most boring office of all!" Valentina rolled her eyes at the drama of her friend.

"What exactly do you need Lolo?" Asked the brunette.

"A venue for a party. And if it is outdoors, even better. But don't worry, I'm going to cancel the invitations right now. I'm going to be the most hated in the office and..."

"Well, maybe I can help you." Juliana revealed without any further information.

Both women looked at her in surprise.

"Do you know someone who can rent me a place like that?" Lauren's voice sounded excited; she had regained her enthusiasm.

"Well, not exactly. Erm... my parents have... they had, because well... it's mine now, I have a small place on the outskirts of New York that I think will work for you." Valentina could feel that something was not right with her girlfriend and Lauren seemed to sense the same.

"Hey sweetie... it's ok, don't worry, everyone already hates me at the office so I don't think this..."

"I haven't been there in a long time, but with a couple of calls I can have everything ready. Besides, I think it's time for me to return," she did not sound very convinced.

"Are you sure love?" Valentina was worried.

"Yeah... I think so." It was time for Juliana Valdés to face her past.


	36. 36: My parents' little house

"Are you sure it's here V?" Lauren only saw a long wall of tall bushes that was separated by a gigantic black gate.

"I'm trying to communicate with the number Juliana gave me," the blonde answered from her seat.

Since Juliana offered the Latina her parents' 'little country house' to organise her party, a week had passed, a week in which Valentina had thought many times about looking for new friends.

Why? You might ask... Well, as soon as Lauren started spreading the news to her friends, Camila decided it would be a good idea to extend their out of town stay for a few more days, to which her fiancée agreed, claiming it would be good for them to take time away from the hustle and bustle of the wedding preparations and even more importantly, away from their respective parents who were driving them crazy.

And as if this were not enough, without Valentina being able to do stop it, the other two couples had already joined the excitement of the mini-vacation and both the future wives and Mariana and Shane had already planned a whole travel itinerary.

By the time Valentina was able to stop her friends and look to her girlfriend for some kind of authorisation, all the brunette could say was "I'm going out on the motorcycle for a while." Which left everyone quiet because everyone in the group knew what that actually meant, 'I'm going out on the motorcycle for a while', was the equivalent of 'This is too much for me, I need to be alone.'

To continue adding reasons in favour of the change of friends, before Juliana returned, Derek mentioned the trip in front of Kara! Now there were not just six excited adults, but also a girl who spent an hour or more on her knees begging her mother Valentina to call her father and delay her trip to Los Angeles until they returned from their four-day vacation in what the girl was now calling 'her grandparents' house'.

And the icing on the cake... just as Lauren and Sam were taking out Valentina's suitcases and starting to argue about who would get the bigger one was the moment the athlete entered the room. Yes, Valentina definitely had to find new friends. They did not have to be wealthy, or funny, or cute, or anything in particular, they just had to know how to close their mouths, that was all the photographer asked.

And so here they were, split between two cars traveling to the outskirts of New York. In the first car Valentina travelled with the future brides, her sleeping daughter and a very, very restless dog. The blonde was worried because her girlfriend's flight from Minnesota had been delayed and the brunette decided that the best thing would be for them to meet at the country house and right now, they were in front of a large and luxurious gate wondering where the hell they were after following the thousands of directions Juliana had given them.

"Mrs. Wilson?" Valentina heard the voice of a woman on the other side of the call and assumed she was the lady her girlfriend had mentioned. "This is Valentina Carvajal... yes, Juliana's girlfriend... Eh... I think we might be lost because... What? You can see us through the camera?" The blonde began to inspect the gate until she found the device that she assumed must be the camera because it had a red flashing light. "Well, we hope so," she looked at her friends. "They had already seen us through the camera, her husband is coming to meet us," she informed them.

"Do you think we can see the lake from the house?" Asked Shane who had already spotted the lake in the distance.

"My only hope is that we don't have to share rooms! I need to take advantage of our last days of sex before my parents and in-laws invade my house!" There was only two weeks left until their wedding and Lauren knew that a crucial test was imminent. If putting up with her own parents was already an ordeal, so putting up with her parents AND her future in-laws would be an almost impossible mission.

"Even if we have to sleep in a tent, I want to be as far away from Lauren and her sexual desire as possible!" Mariana asked.

"Me too, I still haven't gotten over our last vacation!" Shane added.

"Hey! That only happened once and I was sleeping, I had no control over my hands. I thought you were Camila!" The Latina defended herself.

"After that day I could never look at you in the same way." Sam told her.

"Me either. If we hadn't woken you up on time you would have started groping our girlfriends!" Derek supported.

"You two better shut up! I know both of you couldn't keep your eyes off my girlfriend's butt!" The lawyer accused them.

"We don't know what you're talking about!" Derek ignored the insinuation.

"No? Are you going to pretend that you don't remember Camila's tiny yellow bikini?" She asked him.

"It was not yellow, it was light blue and..."

"SAM!" His girlfriend challenged him.

Before Valentina could silence them, the gates began to open. When it finished opening, the only thing they could see was a long asphalt road lined with tall pine trees. On either side of the road there was endless greenery, miles and miles of grass decorated with all kinds of trees, shrubs, rose bushes, and many other kinds of well-kept plants.

"WELCOME!" They were greeted by a man who sounded very enthusiastic. "Sorry for the delay. But the other quad bike did not want to start so I had to change to this one," the man tapped the transport he was sitting on. "I could have opened the gates from the house but Miss Juliana asked me to personally accompany you as this is your first time here," said the man as he got off the quad and began to walk towards the group.

"It's nice to meet you," the blonde stretched out her hand to greet the man, "I'm Valentina Carvajal and you must be..."

"Jack Wilson. The lucky caretaker of this wonderful place,"he shook hands with Valentina. "Although you can call me Jack," he clarified. "Let me tell you Miss Carvajal..."

"Call me Valentina please," asked the photographer.

"Very well. Let me tell you, Valentina, that Miss Juliana was not wrong when she told me that you were the owner of inhuman beauty. I think her exact words were 'Jack when you see her you will believe that there is life on other planets, because Valentina is not just a human being, she is a Goddess who came to this world to conquer it with her beauty'!" He recited the brunette's words exactly as she had said them. Needless to say, Valentina's red colour lasted until the man had greeted the rest of her friends.

"I thought Miss Juliana's daughter was coming with you," he said somewhat disappointed. "My wife and I were very excited to meet her," he explained. "When she doesn't talk about you, she tells us about her."

"Don't worry, you will meet her..." Valentina rushed to tell him, "but she fell asleep on the journey." It was something that happened to her often.

"How much farther is it to the Valdés house?" Lauren asked interrupting the conversation. The man looked at the Latin woman puzzled.

"I'm not sure I understand what you are asking Miss..." retaining all their names was not an easy task for the older man.

"How many houses do we have to pass to get to Juliana's?" She rephrased her question.

"Erm... You are already at the house... if that is what you are asking. All this land is Valdés," the man indicated the place with his arms. The group of friends all looked at each other. "If you could follow me up to the residence." The man got back on to the quad and waited for the guests to get back into their cars to guide them.

"Kara," Valentina tried to wake up her daughter. "Darling wake up," it was almost impossible and if she succeeded, she would then have to deal with her daughter's bad mood all day, that was definitely something she inherited from Valentina.

"MY GOD AND ALL THE SAINTS!" And what the photographer could not achieve was achieved by Lauren with a scream, the little girl woke up with a jump.

"LAUREN!" Valentina scolded her, while trying to calm her daughter again.

"Sorry V... but have you seen this place? IT'S A FUCKING MANSION!"

Once they reached the end of the driveway, they could see a huge two-story house with beautiful gardens all around it. On the west side you could see a pool and on the other side a wooden pier like in the movies, which obviously led to the lake.

"IT HAS ITS OWN LAKE!" As soon as Lauren parked the car where Mr. Wilson had indicated, Camila jumped out and ran towards the water while Puppy followed her.

"CAMZ WATCH THE PUPPY!" If something happened to the dog, her daughter would die.

"Are we there mom?" Apparently Kara had already recovered from the shock.

"Seems so sweetie," her mother replied still surprised.

"This has to be a joke." Derek was still sceptical.

"Valentina, are you sure this is the address?" Mariana took the paper from her friend's hand and read it again.

"Is there a problem?" An older lady appeared beside them, "Marge Wilson, at your service," she introduced herself.

"How are you Mrs. Wilson? We don't have a problem, it's just..."

"Let me guess..." Jack caught up with them, "Juliana told you that this was 'her parents' little house'?" He said confidently. All the friends, except Camila who was near the lake, nodded without words. The Wilsons looked at each other and then began to laugh.

"I told you this was a joke!" Derek whispered.

"Excuse us... it's just... that is what Señor Valdés used to call this place 'his little country house'. Every time someone came, they had the same reaction as you!" The woman explained. "But let me tell you that what you see here is all Juliana's," she announced before directing her attention towards the little girl who was held in her mother's arms. "You must be Kara," she said. "Juliana has told us a lot about you," as soon as they named her other mother, the little girl took her face from Valentina's neck and looked at the couple.

"There is a gift for you in the garage." It would be weird if there wasn't a gift at this point. "Juliana made us prepare it for you," said Mr. Wilson.

"Can I see it?" She asked the man.

But Valentina was faster, "Not now darling. Let them show us around first and then we will see the gift. Besides, Juliana told me that you have a flight in a few hours, is that right?" Apparently the couple were taking advantage of their visit to go on vacation.

"Yes, that is true Miss Valentina," Jack confirmed. "If you'll accompany us, we will show you around," the older couple entered the residence and the group followed.

"OH MY GOD! WHERE IS THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND? WHERE IS BRAD OR ANGELINA? THIS IS THE FUCKING AMAZING!" Lauren was surprised by everything.

"Lauren, can you control your vocabulary in front of my daughter?" The blonde warned her.

"Well, as you can see, this is the living area..." he pointed around the large sitting/kitchen/dining area. The Kitchen is already equipped with everything that Miss Juliana asked for, but if you need something, there is a shop not far from here where you can buy whatever you need," the man explained. "Upstairs there are nine rooms available. Mr and Mrs Valdés used to bring many guests," he clarified to the group.

"There are two more rooms but they are locked. You can choose whichever rooms you like," said the woman. "And..."

"I REQUEST THE ROOM FURTHEST FROM LAUREN!" Shane ran for the stairs followed by Sam.

"US TOO!" Derek and Mariana followed.

"HEY NO! I WANT TO CHOOSE FIRST!" Lauren ran after them.

"I'm sorry. They're excited!" Valentina was ashamed of the behaviour of her friends.

"Do not worry. We are very happy to see people in this house again." Marge told her with a smile on her face.

"Kara darling... because you will not choose your room like that, do you think you could try and control your aunts and uncles a bit?" The photographer needed to ask some questions.

The little girl got down from her mother's arms and ran up the stairs. "I'm sorry..." she took a deep breath, "I know I probably shouldn't ask, but Juliana has been very strange since she mentioned this house and I would like to know..."

"You want to know why this place is so important to her, don't you?" Asked Jack. Valentina confirmed with a nod of her head.

Mr. Wilson looked at his wife and she supported him. "Tell her honey."

"Since Miss Juliana was born, she spent every summer here with her parents. The three of them together for two whole weeks. And believe me when I tell you Valentina that we have never seen a happier girl than Juliana in her summers here," the man took a breath. "She took her first steps here, she learned to swim in that lake, she learned to ride a bicycle, then a motorcycle..."

"She and her father spent hours fixing cars or motorcycles while Mrs. Valdés sang or rehearsed her lines under that tree." Marge pointed to a willow tree that was on the shore of the lake.

"Mr. Valdés even installed a basketball court when she was a teenager because he feared his daughter would stop coming with them," the man continued with his story. "This house holds the best memories of her family," he finished making sure that Valentina understand the reason for her girlfriend's pain.

"Look," he guided her to one of the walls that had several hanging photographs of the family. "This was taken at one of the many parties the family had here." He showed her a photo in which Juliana's parents appeared very elegant challenging a young brunette who did not seem to be more than ten years old. "Miss Juliana only had permission to stay until midnight but somehow or another she always managed to stay a while longer." Valentina laughed at the familiarity of the scene as she has experienced similar moments with her own daughter.

"When she told us she was coming back, we thought she was playing a joke on Jack," the woman told her.

"She hasn't come here since her parents died?" Valentina was sure she knew the answer.

"Exactly," agreed the man. "But she calls us every weekend. We have great affection for her," added the man. "It's a shame that we don't get to see her... we watched her game on TV yesterday, but now you understand why she played one of her worst games." The brunette had been affected by the potential return to her family's summer home.

"She asked me to give you this..." Valentina gave them an envelope, "your tickets and some extra money," she explained.

"Oh no-no, that is not necessary!" The woman rejected the money. "She pays us too much already," she refused again.

Valentina laughed. Her girlfriend had warned her that the couple would reject the money. "She told me if you did not accept it, she would kick your old asses. And I'm just quoting my girlfriend!" She quickly clarified.

The older couple started to laugh and accepted the envelope just as the rest of the group joined them. "Well Marge, do we need to tell them anything else?" He asked, going through the mental list of tasks. "The quad bikes are at your disposal in the garage except the one that seems broken."

"The party planner will come by this evening around six o'clock. They have organised all the Valdés parties," added the Lady. "I think that's it..." she thought for a moment. "Oh yes!" She remembered something important. "Miss Valentina, these are the keys to the two main rooms," she handed her a bunch of keys. "I think it is better if you have them." She winked. The keys were for the rooms that Juliana and her parents used to occupy when she was a girl. "If Miss Juliana asks, everything is just as they left it," she finished.

"Well, I think it's time to go." Jack announced taking his wife's hand. "I hope you find your stay in this 'little house' satisfactory. It was a pleasure meeting you."

"Please send our regards to Juliana." Marge asked before leaving.

"BYE!" They all said their goodbyes to the sweet couple.

Valentina took a deep breath before walking around the room looking at the various photos that adorned the walls. Immediately one caught her eye. A man and a woman holding a baby that did not appear to be even a year old. Valentina smiled at the baby image of her girlfriend. "You have to be strong for her Valentina. You have to help her," she whispered to herself. "Where is Kara?" She asked her friends who were already scattered in different parts of the kitchen preparing breakfast, they had travelled very early so were hungry.

"Does the word 'gift' sound familiar to you V?" Lauren answered quickly, she had already seen her niece sneak out. "I would go fast, knowing the sweetie, she has probably bought a real hippo and has it in a tank!" She warned from the kitchen.

"I also want to see the hippopotamus Lolo!" Said the dancer entering for breakfast.

"Hopefully, she won't call it Nine!" Derek added.

"Can I choose the name? It should be something cool like Hipzilla!" Sam seemed excited by the idea.

"YAAA! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD CAN YOU STOP TALKING NONSENSE?" How many years do you get in jail for the murder of four people? Valentina wondered. "Juliana would not be capable of giving my daughter a live animal!" They all looked at her. "Well maybe she is capable... but not a hippopotamus and I don't want to talk about it anymore! Puppy let's go look for Kara... before she jumps into the tank to swim with the animal!" She said quietly to herself.

"KARA!" Valentina called as she approached the garage and the pup barked. "KARA! BREAKFAST!" She tried tempting her with food. As soon as she was close enough, she could see the open door to the garage and decided to quicken her pace and run the last few yards. "MY GOD... KARA DON'T YOU DARE GET INTO THAT TANK!" It seems that her friends had convinced her. She stopped when she reached the entrance and... **_ZUMMMMMM!_** Her daughter sped off on a quad bike with a giant red bow.

"MAMAAAAAAA! I CAN'T STOP!! AAHHH!" The little girl who was heading straight towards the lake shouted for help.

"BRAKE DARLING, BRAKE!" Her mother yelled at her, getting the little girl's attention. "STEP ON THE BRAKE!" Her mother tried to help her, but the only thing she received from her daughter was a replica of her own murderous look, or at least that was what she saw when she zoomed past her.

"IT HAS NO BRAKE PEDAL!" The poor girl was now driving in circles around her mother.

"WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING OUT HERE? WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING SO MUCH?" Lauren came running.

"WATCH OUT!" Lauren had to quickly step aside before being crushed to death by her niece.

"What is she doing?" She asked.

"Well, your niece came up with the brilliant idea of getting on that thing and now she doesn't know how the hell to stop it!" Valentina informed her.

"Have you tried stepping on the brake pedal?" Another killer look.

"It has no pedal Lauren!"

"Hey... Did you see the beds?... they are huge! I bet the one in the main room is the best," the Latina noticed her friend's worried face. "What's wrong V?" She asked.

"I'm scared Lolo," she answered. "What if it wasn't a good idea to come here?" Look the time!" She pointed to the watch on her wrist. "She should already be here by now but she is probably somewhere trying to avoid this moment." She explained knowingly as her daughter kept circling around them.

"Look V, I'm not a psychologist or anything like that but I think this is something the sweetie has to do," said the Latina. "Her house is GREAT for the party... yes, that's secondary. That her house is going to make me a new partner of the firm... yes well, that is also secondary. That the huge bed in this house will allow Camila and I to have enough sex to recharge and put up with our parents... is also secondary. That her house..."

"I UNDERSTAND LERN. YOU LIKE THE HOUSE!" If she didn't stop her, she was likely to keep going until her daughter ran out of fuel.

"What I mean is that it's time for Juliana to face her past. And what better way to do it with her girlfriend, her daughter, and her friends by her side." She had a good point. "It may be difficult for her to enter through the gate, but the moment she does, we will be by her side to help her cross the other doors," she finished.

"Of course Laur, of course. It's just that I don't like to see her suffer. Seeing Juliana sad is like seeing Superman injured, practically impossible, but when it happens all you want to do is help her... My God! Did I just reference a superhero?" She asked stunned.

"What's wrong V? Looks like the sweetie is infecting you!" Joked her friend.

"I'M GETTING DIZZY!" The kangaroo was not going to last much longer.

"Do you have any ideas?" Valentina asked the lawyer.

"Just one... HEY KARA!" She called her. "WHY DON'T YOU MAKE ONE OF THOSE SUPER JUMPS?" Brilliant idea Lauren.

"WHAT ABOUT THE QUAD?" She asked.

"DO YOU HAVE A BETTER IDEA?" Asked her aunt.

Both women followed the action. Three seconds later the little girl jumped off the bike and was cushioned by the long grass as she landed, but the Quad kept going until it crashed against a tall pine tree that decorated the garden. That gift to the girl did not last very long.

"I think giving her a hippo would have been safer than that!" Lauren said as she went to help her niece.

"Without a doubt." Valentina supported her.

"A HIPOPOTAMUS? Where?" Apparently Kara had already recovered from the blow.

** In the kitchen - A while after the 'accident on wheels' **

"Kara you have to eat." Valentina had been insisting for a while that her daughter had to eat her breakfast.

"I'm going to wait for Mommy Juls," the girl who was leaning against the back of her chair repeated for the fifth time to her mother.

"You can sit on top of me if you want." Mariana offered. She wasn't sure which of all the murderous looks struck first. "Well I was just trying to help!" She defended herself.

"Can anyone else hear that noise?" Sam asked the group.

"Yes, it's like a buzzing." Shane heard it too.

"IT'S JUUUULS!" Camila yelled. The friends looked everywhere but did not see the athlete.

"What are you talking about Camzi Camz?" Asked her girlfriend.

"It's Juliana... in the little camera!" She pointed to a device with several buttons and a miniature screen on the wall.

"It's true." Derek confirmed, he was the closest to the image.

"What are you waiting for? Open it up!" Lauren ordered.

"Which button is it?" She asked. They all looked at each other.

"Try all of them." Maybe not the best idea.

Seconds later Valentina's cell phone rang. "Hello sweetie," it was Juliana obviously. "Yes, we see you but... the first one?" Derek pressed the button. "Okay... Do you want me collect you in the car?" The driveway was quite long. "Okay, but don't delay, you have two blondes desperate to see you!" She said smiling.

"Are you coming with me, Kara?" It was not necessary to insist. The two Carvajal and Puppy went to meet their favourite person at the end of the driveway.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I hope you all had a great Christmas. It took me a little longer to get organised this week as I had a recurring migraine and wasn't in form to translate.  
> But here it is. Enjoy. 😘


	37. 37. The treasure map

Half an hour. According to her watch, Juliana had spent exactly half an hour in front of the gate waiting... Well, frozen really. She had only frozen when she saw the 'V' that adorned the gate ' _Don't you think it's too ostentatious?'_ Her father had asked her mother after she decided to place the letter to mark the midpoint of the black gate. And just a glance from his wife was enough, the following week we had a new front gate with the long-awaited 'V' in the middle.

That was the same effect that Valentina had on her, was Juliana's first thought. With a single look from her girlfriend, like her mother, she always got what she wanted, _'And the worst part, is that she knows it!_ ' her father murmured late one night as he was getting ready to go out, once again at the whim of his wife. _'One day you will find a woman for whom you are able to get up at dawn to go to the nearest bakery, in your slippers, just to be the first in line for homemade bread and thus return home and make her favourite toast... When that day comes daughter, you will be in trouble... Do you know why?... because you will have fallen in love!'_

"I have been in trouble for a long time!" The brunette said to herself remembering the words of her father. "Well... Here I go, God and Jordan help me!" Juliana rang the bell and waited a while, trusting that either Jack or Marge had explained to her friends which button to press. "Apparently not!" She concluded after spending a few minutes waiting. She took her cell phone out of her pocket to call her girlfriend. The blonde did not take long to answer.

"Hello, my Queen, I'm at the gate," she announced. "To open it you have to press the first button," she explained. After a while she heard the buzz and the gate unlock, she pushed hard. "No, no," she denied the blonde's help, "I'll walk," in fact, she had already started walking up the driveway. "I would never dare make you wait," she said laughing. "See you soon!" She cut the call. "Ugh... come on Juliana, your daughter and your girlfriend are waiting for you," she kept walking.

It was amazing how Mr. and Mrs. Wilson had kept everything just as their parents liked it. The pine trees that her father had planted on each side of the driveway when she was five years old were now huge. The rose bushes that her mother cared for, almost like another child, remained intact. _'Juliana Valdés, if you cut another one of my roses to give it to one of your girlfriends again, I will take care of telling each of them where all your secret meeting places are myself!'_

The brunette never believed her mother was capable of doing that to her, but she still remembers the day she was caught. She was in the garage having her daytime petting session with one of them, Jenny, Denny, Penny, or whatever, when a few other girls entered and demanded an explanation. Every summer her parents brought it up and joked about the red hand marks that had marked her face. _'Don't say you weren't warned!'_ her mother had said at that moment. And how right she was.

There was no doubt, the place was full of memories, Juliana had spent the best days of her life here. Would she be able to create new stories and new memories? She raised her head towards the end of the driveway to find her girlfriend and daughter hand in hand waiting for her with Puppy lying next to them. And the question answered itself.

"MOMMY!" The little girl ran to meet her mother, of course the puppy followed her. And on impulse the girl jumped on her mother, managing to knock Juliana to the ground.

"Oh my God! What a powerful jump you hit me with kangaroo!" She said from the ground.

"I MISSED YOU A LOT!" Kara knew that a little extra affection would help ease the trouble she was in over the damaged quad.

"Me too, Pooh Bear..." She couldn't finish speaking because the puppy was also on top of her licking her face.

"It seems that Puppy also missed you!" Observed her daughter.

"You couldn't wait for me to celebrate?" Valentina joined the family hug, throwing herself on to the ground with them. Juliana hugged her two treasures.

"Mommy, can I tell you something?" The girl asked from her mother's stomach.

"You can always tell me kangaroo." She assured her.

"Last night you played really bad!" She said without mincing her words.

"KARA!" Valentina thought that her daughter should have been more subtle. "You didn't play badly, it was just different from how you usually play and well..."

"Valentina..." her girlfriend interrupted her.

"Yes?"

"I played really bad!" She admitted looking at her girlfriend. The three of them started laughing. Yes, it was definitely going to be four interesting days.

After Valentina and Juliana greeted each other as God intended, that included an intense make-out session that Kara ended with a shout of 'I'm hungry!' The three of them made their way to the house. In the short distance, Valentina took the opportunity to inform her girlfriend of everything the Wilsons' had told her.

"Kara... Is there something I need to know?" She asked her daughter as soon as she saw the quad embedded in one of the pine trees. A red bow still hanging from the four-wheeler. Both blondes looked at each other.

"I'm going to have breakfast!" The girl quickly ran into the house.

"Runaway you cowardly mouse!" Valentina yelled at her.

Juliana looked at her girlfriend waiting for an answer. "Well?" She asked.

"It seems that YOUR daughter thought she knew how to handle it alone, and because she couldn't stop it, she jumped off!" She summarised. "Why are you looking at me?" The blonde would not take the blame for something that was definitely not her fault. "The next time you give something to your daughter, could you try not give her something that endangers the lives of others. Like that!" She pointed to the damaged quad bike. "Or an animal!" Just in case.

"Do stuffed animals count?" Asked the brunette somewhat embarrassed.

"Let me guess... You brought her another stuffed animal, right?" She didn't even have to ask, her girlfriend nodded her head up and down.

"It's going to be called Nine, right?" Again the answer was affirmative.

"You know that I love you with all my heart, right?" Juliana stared at her. "Do you know?" She insisted with the question.

"Maybe you'll have to remind me," she said approaching her.

And Valentina left no room for doubt, not only did she remind the brunette how much she loved her but also how much her body had missed her.

"I also brought a gift for you," the athlete managed to say with the little breath she had left, her girl had taken it from her.

"A present for me?" The photographer could not imagine what her girlfriend would have brought her. "Tell me it's not an animal please!" Her friends had made her obsessed.

Juliana thought for a few seconds. "Well, it's not an animal per-se, but it could be part of my inner beast," she began the clues.

"Then it is not a gift for me!" She concluded.

"Well, it's actually for you but I'm going to use it," she explained in the best way she knew how at the time.

Valentina was thinking, "Something that you are going to use but it's for me? I don't understand." The blonde was still not used to her girlfriend's perverted mind.

"Well, I'll show you later..." she sentenced, "but believe me love, you're going to enjoy it a lot!" She added, looking at her mischievously.

"Something that you are going to use and I am going to enjoy a lot...? Don't tell me that..." Valentina's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"JUUULS!" Camila ran to the brunette. "We were waiting for you!" She hugged her. "The little house is not so small. Lolo says that you will be our friend for the rest of our lives and she will drag your butt here every summer!" The dancer and her verbal incontinence.

"Hello Camz," Greeted the athlete smiling, "I'm glad you like the place."

"Lolo also says that if you and Valentina..." she looked at her friend, "What's wrong?" She asked as soon as she saw the dilated pupils and the open mouth of her friend.

Juliana smiled maliciously. "Nothing... apparently she doesn't like surprises!" Replied the basketball player. "But I think she needs a moment to think about the number of surprises she will receive over the next couple of days," added the brunette, receiving a look from Valentina that said, _'You have five seconds to get out of my sight because if I catch you, I won't give you rest.'_

Camila watched the exchange before turning back to Juliana. "Lolo says that if you don't come in for breakfast now, she's going to kill her little rat of a niece and then kick your beautiful butt, but not before making you sign the deed to this house." Camila, and her recall skills.

Juliana walked to the door, took a deep breath, and entered. She didn't want to linger in the living room for long, so she went straight to the kitchen, she could almost do it with her eyes closed.

"Hey Valentina..." the dancer walked beside her. "If you want, Lolo and I can help you with the surprises..."

"For the fourteenth time Camz... Juliana's surprises are only mine!" They needed to understand that.

When they entered the kitchen, Kara was already having breakfast while sitting on top of the brunette. The photographer avoided looking at her girlfriend in protest of what she had just done to her. Valentina went straight to the refrigerator, grabbed a pen, and began to write something on the 'couch list' that Kara, despite the protests of the athlete, had decided to bring with the excuse that in four days anything could happen. Her friends watched and waited for her to finish writing.

"Oh sweetie, it looks like you won't be getting any action tonight!" The Latina whispered to the brunette.

"What about me?" The girl asked, oblivious to the meaning.

Lauren and Juliana looked at each other.

"It'll be a few more years before you get any action." Juliana informed her.

"How many do you think?" Lauren asked curious.

"Well... the age of her first kiss, eight, multiplied by the Carvajal beauty and divided by the Valdés touch... I would say that in about seven years or so she will be changing hippos for Barbie or Ken who knows," she calculated winking at the Latina.

"I don't like Barbie or Ken!" Kara defended herself.

"Not yet, little mouse, not yet," the Latina warned her.

"I don't understand, what did you write?" As always the nosiest of all, Shane, got up from the table to read what Valentina had put in the column of 'Juliana's mistakes'.

"Read it," asked her boyfriend.

"She wrote... 'For playing with a Carvajal'?" She read for the group.

"Was that the mistake?" Mariana asked Valentina who had occupied one of the chairs far away from her girlfriend. "And how many nights in the chair is it equivalent to?" It usually depended on the magnitude of the error.

Valentina looked up to see the brunette smiling provocatively at her. "Answer them love, how many nights on the couch is it worth?" Juliana continued to play with her.

"It's just a warning!" The blonde clarified to quench the group's thirst for information. Both women stared defiantly.

"CAN YOU STOP LOOKING AT EACH OTHER LIKE THAT? WE'RE HAVING BREAKFAST!" Lauren protested. "AND THEY SAY I AM THE PERVERTED ONE!" She complained.

"LOLO! Don't interrupt the hot looks between Juls and Valen, they are sexy!" And the connection was cut after both comments.

"Believe me when I say that first place is very tight between you, your girlfriend and Juliana!" Derek said.

"Hey sweetie..." the lawyer had a question in her head. "Do you know the organiser who is coming to help us with the party? The caretaker said it was the same one that organised your parents' parties," the latter was said very delicately.

"Seriously?" Asked the athlete getting everyone to confirm it. "Wow! I thought that Mr Anderson had left the business years ago," she said it more to herself than to the others. "But yes. I know him," she confirmed. "The parties that were organised here were among the most famous in the area," she explained. "Did they tell you what time he was coming?"

"Around six." Valentina answered.

"We thought we could use the pool." Mariana spoke. "Is that okay?" She did not want to abuse Juliana's hospitality.

"Hey... My house is your house! You can do whatever you want, you don't need to ask me for permission to do anything," she clarified.

"Well then, my butt and I are going out to roast in the sun right now, that the white dress for the 'Lolo party' needs a lot of colour on this skin," apparently the party came with a white theme. "V, I think you should come sunbathe too, or they might mistake you for a ghost!" Valentina hated jibes about her skin colour.

"You should be more concerned about your silicone melting in the sun!" Attacked the blonde.

"TO THE POOL!" Camila ran for her bikini before her girlfriend and friend started arguing again.

"Lauren, no strange behaviour with Camila in the water!" Her friends warned her as they followed the dancer towards the rooms.

"Where's the fun in that?" Her friends did not know how to enjoy life.

"Kara honey, why don't you go put on your swimsuit so we get into the pool?" Valentina had bought her daughter a new two-piece just for this trip. The little girl liked water so much that she was unable to refuse and ran out of the kitchen leaving her two mothers alone.

The clash of gazes immediately returned. It did not take long before the blonde began to move towards her girlfriend, she straddled her legs, staying face to face. "Can you hold me so I don't fall?" She asked in need of the contact.

Juliana without any shame, grabbed her girlfriend's butt and pulled her closer to her. "Is that better?" She asked.

"It would be better if we were both naked and you were using my gift on me!" Valentina was unable to think of anything else.

Juliana pulled her closer. "Do you want me inside you? You can't wait for me to make you scream right?" The temperature of the conversation began to rise, Valentina couldn't help it and started moving on top of her girlfriend.

"I want you to leave me unable to walk..." The blonde was hungry. "I want to eat you whole... I want to..." with her hands she went straight to her girlfriend's stomach, "I want to make you understand that you are mine..."

"OH MY GOD! MY EYES! MY EYES! THEY'RE BURNING!" The Latina always with great timing.

"Don't exaggerate Lauren!" Valentina got up from her girlfriend's lap while Juliana rested her head on the table.

"Is it necessary for you two to be rubbing against each other when the rest of us are only two meters away? Shameless!"

"Awwwh!" Camila appeared. "Did I miss it?" She asked her fiancée pouting.

"Don't worry darling, with the fever these two have, I think you'll have plenty of other opportunities!" The dancer's face lit up.

Valentina approached her girlfriend's ear, "Are you okay?" She knew her girlfriend had a hard time recovering from sexual frustration.

Juliana raised her head and without waiting for anyone's permission she kissed her girlfriend. "Better than ever," she told her.

"Are you coming to the pool?" Shane asked from the living room.

"First, I want to check what's wrong with Kara's quad bike and then Jack's," the brunette announced.

"I'm going to check on my daughter and then I'll join you." This time it was Valentina who announced her plans.

"Why can't you just say 'we're going to have sex' like normal people?" Lauren asked. "You don't have to make up excuses, it's not like we were planning on interrupting you all the time!" The Latina was playing with the patience of her friends.

Before the brunette could answer the Latina, her girlfriend was already guiding her to the rooms. When she was about to enter the one that she had settled in, something stopped her. Juliana had stopped short.

"What's up love?" The athlete had released her girl's hand and was walking towards one of the locked rooms, Valentina followed her carefully and when Juliana stopped in front of the door, she hugged her from behind. "Marge gave me the keys and told me to tell you that everything has been left exactly as they left it."

"I don't know if I want to go in," confessed the brunette.

"You don't have to do it alone, I can accompany you." Valentina wanted her girlfriend to know that she was by her side.

"I can't even look at the photos in the living room... how am I supposed to enter their room or mine? It will only make me miss them more than I already do," just thinking about it gave the brunette goose bumps.

"And that's bad?" After this question, a confused Juliana turned to look at her.

"What do you mean? Of course, it's bad."

"Love..." she grabbed her by the face, "I'm just saying that maybe it's not a bad thing to miss them, it means that the time you spent with them is worth remembering, that they loved you and gave you everything you deserved and more." She could see how her girlfriends eyes were filled with tears. "When you're ready, we'll go in... together!" She said. "Look at me baby..." she asked when the athlete lowered her face, "I love you." She kissed her. "And your room?" She asked suddenly.

"What about my room?" Juliana did not understand the blonde's doubt.

"Do you want us to go inside?" She tried to rephrase the question. "Kara and I would love to see it," she said as she watched as the little girl, who was already dressed in her new swimsuit, shorts, and her Liberty cap, approached them.

"Hey, I didn't know that one of the Victoria's Secret models had come with you!" The little girl, upon hearing that, began to parade down the hall making her mother's laugh. "Excuse me, miss..." Juliana crouched down at the height of her little girl, "and who gave you permission to wear a bikini?" She asked her seriously.

"Mom's is even smaller!" Treacherous rat mode activated. "Well... I think it's time for all of us to go to the pool!" She needed to see Valentina in a bikini now.

"Weren't we going to see your room?" Asked the intrigued little girl pointing to the door that had a basketball drawn on the wood.

"And then you were going to fix the bikes, remember?" The older blonde joked before her girl's despair.

"But we can do both things after I see you in bikini!" She said.

"Uncle Sam, Uncle Derek and Aunts Camren say the best thing about summer is seeing mom in a bikini!" Kara knew how to convince her mother.

"LET'S SEE THE ROOM THEN!!" She gave her daughter one hand and the other to Valentina. The three of them walked together until they reached her former room. "Can you open it?" She asked Valentina, the blonde nodded and produced the keys that Mrs. Wilson had given her and unlocked the door. "WAIT!!!" She prevented her girlfriend from turning the handle. "Before entering, you have to know that as a teenager and I was a very hormonal young woman..."

"As a teenager you say?" Clearly that had not changed.

"What does Mormonal mean mommy?" Obviously at eight you don't know the meaning of the word.

"It means..." Valentina tried to explain, "that your mother when she was young, spent a lot of time thinking about girls." Not a detailed explanation, but it would do. Valentina looked at her girlfriend and tried to turn the handle again.

"WAIT!!!"

"Now what?"

"Before entering you should also know that there are things that you may want to give Lauren or make a bonfire with!" Magazines and videos in case you did not understand!

"JULIANA!!" Valentina worried about her girl's obsession.

"I spent two whole weeks here every summer, and well, as I said before, I was very hormonal!" She defended herself.

"Do you want me to add this to the 'couch list' mom?" Asked her daughter.

"Please darling," second warning. "Anything else we need to know?" She asked, grabbing the handle.

"Only that I love you both with all my heart!" Juliana left a kiss on her daughter's head and another on the photographer's mouth. "Now... Whatever happens, happens!" The blonde turned the handle at last.

"This is what I was afraid of!" Said Valentina. The room was practically wallpapered with posters of scantily clad women mixed with the odd poster of a famous basketball player.

"Well, I was..."

"A very hormonal young woman, yes, I know... well let's get to work. Each one take a wall!" Valentina ordered.

"Why?" Juliana asked puzzled.

"What do you mean why? To take down all those posters! We cannot leave it like this!" If it were up to Valentina, she would have already set them on fire.

"But it's Pamela Anderson love!" She protested. "In her red swimsuit... running... see?" Killer look at one o'clock, killer look at two and... "Can you take it down? I'm not going to have the strength to do it!" The brunette turned her back to her girlfriend surveying her old room.

"WOW! Did you meet Michael Jordan?" Kara had a photo of Juliana with the basketball star in her hands.

The brunette abandoned her task and went over to her daughter while Valentina took the things off the wall. "Yep, my father operated on his wife," she told her daughter.

"WOW! I can see the guys in the pool from here!" The girl had made her way out onto the balcony.

"These are the only two rooms with a balcony, this one faces the pool and the main one faces the lake," she explained while examining her closet. "I can't believe it! My overalls!" They were the blue overalls that Juliana wore when fixing cars or motorcycles with her father.

"Why do you have so many?" Asked the curious girl.

"My mother made me new ones as I grew up," she told her. "I think this one will still fit me," it was the last one she had been given.

"Juls..." Valentina caught her attention, "a paper fell from behind the poster of Pamela Anderson. A treasure map?" She read. The blonde handed the paper to her girlfriend.

"Hahaha!" The two blondes looked at her intrigued. "Here..." she gave Valentina the map, "you read the instructions for me." Juliana went to stand with her back to the door. "Don't look at me like that... just do it!" She insisted.

Valentina opened the note and saw that someone had tried to draw a map of the bedroom. On the page there were various instructions and in one area of the drawing there was an X with the word 'treasure' beside it. She took a breath. "Walk five steps straight..." The blonde watched as her girlfriend followed the instruction. When she stopped, she read again. "Now you have to take two steps to the right..." Juliana did.

"I'M NERVOUS!" Kara exclaimed from the bed.

"She's almost there..." Valentina didn't want to admit it but she was also intrigued. "Now you have to..." she looked at the athlete smiling, "It says you have to 'take two little frog hops towards the bed while imitating the sound," she finished.

"Are you sure it says to make the sound?" She asked, doubting she had put that in the instructions.

"What does it say honey?" She made her daughter read.

"Take two frog hops towards the bed while imitating the sound," sentenced the girl.

The basketball player eyed her girls trying to see if they were lying or not.

"THE MAP DOES NOT LIE JULIANA!" Valentina said hurrying her girlfriend.

Juliana crouched down and before she could regret it, she took two frog jumps, "RIBBIT! RIBBIT!"

"HAHAHAHA!" The Carvajal's evil laugh filled the room.

"STOP LAUGHING AND TELL ME THE NEXT INSTRUCTION!" The brunette asked with shame.

"Relax little frog! Hahaha! It says..." it was difficult for them to stop laughing. "Finally take three long steps to the left."

As soon as she finished the last step she reached down and hit the loose skirting on the floor. She looked at the two Carvajal ladies smiling. "It's here!" All three were excited. She pulled out the board and...

"THE TREASURE! WILL IT BE A PRECIOUS STONE? A CURSED SKULL? OR..."

"No more Indiana Jones for my daughter please!" Valentina asked.

"Agreed!" Juliana supported her decision as she tried to open the box.

"Another piece of paper?" Kara asked disappointed.

"Kara honey, not everything in life is hippos and motorcycles," her mother clarified.

"And also, this is not just any paper!" The brunette got up with the notes in her hand. "These are the three wishes of the Valdés family... Dad's..." she passed it to her girlfriend, "Mom's..." she gave it to her daughter, "and mine!" She kept one of the papers.

All three of them opened them at the same time. "The first on mine says 'Go to Venice." Valentina read.

Juliana laughed. "That was the last trip they made," the tears were threatening to appear. "Your turn Kara," she told her daughter.

"Travel to Venice?" apparently, they agreed. "And yours?" The little girl asked her mommy Juls.

"Play in the WNBA," Juliana read excitedly.

"Well, I think you can cross that one off your wish list now." Valentina tried to ease tension by making her girl laugh. "The next one is 'Give Juliana a little brother'..."

"Same as this one." Kara added. Apparently, her parents had cheated.

"I put... 'Form a family'..." she looked at her daughter and her girlfriend. "Another one to cross out," she concluded.

Valentina wiped the tears that fell on her girlfriend's face. "Do you know what the last one on your father's list says?" She had already read it. Juliana made a gesture for her to say it. "He wrote... 'May Juliana be happy'..." she grabbed her hand.

"In this one too!" Kara contributed while hugging her mother's leg.

"Apparently the three of us wanted the same thing!" The brunette showed them the last point on her list in which it clearly read, 'Be happy'. At least now she could cross it out too.

"Mommy, can I have this room?" The little girl took advantage of her mother's moment of weakness.

"Of course, Kangaroo, of course," she was the heir after all.

"I'm going to start the fire." Valentina gave her girlfriend a short kiss and went to grab Juliana's forbidden box. "Do you want to keep this?" She gave her the map.

"Sure..." Juliana took the map and quickly noticed something, "HEY! I DIDN'T HAVE TO IMITATE A FROG!" Laughter flooded the house.


	38. 38: A real zoo

"Either I stop finding prohibited material or I have to look for another way to destroy it!" Valentina had just discovered how dangerous it was to destroy all evidence of her girlfriend's obsession. Her latest bonfire, containing magazines and videos, almost got out of hand.

Once the dirty work was done, she had every intention of going to the pool, rather, she wanted to lie in the sun for a long time. Even though she didn't want to, she had to agree with her friend, she needed a little colour to wear the dress for tomorrow's party. "Stupid Lauren and her stupid idea of making everyone wear white!" She remembered the Latina as soon as she was about to choose her mesh. She had bought two bikinis, one white and one black. The two colours which Juliana could not resist. "Okay Juliana Valdés, let's see how long you can continue paying attention to your bikes when you see me like this."

The rule was very clear... if Valentina wanted attention, Valentina got it. And this would not be the exception, the blonde wanted her girlfriend with her all the time, touching her, looking at her, even jealous, whatever it took to have her all to herself. You could say that Valentina was craving her girlfriend and when a woman has a craving it is a sin not to satisfy it.

"Because it's only the first day, I won't be cruel, I'll wear the black," she told herself. "I don't want to make her suffer either." The blonde knew if Juliana discovered her white underwear or in this case, a bikini, it was very likely that Valentina would not come out of the situation unscathed.

"I don't think mommy Juls will like you wearing that bikini mommy!" Kara appeared without warning, making her mother jump.

"KARA! You scared me!" She said with a hand on her chest. "Well, I'm sure she will like it..." Valentina had already thought it through. "But... out of curiosity, why do you think that?" Her daughter's opinion wouldn't hurt.

"Do you remember the time the three of us went to the park and a guy said something about your bottom that you didn't want me to hear?" The girl asked.

"Yeah, I remember, but what does that have to do with..."

"And what happened to the guy?" She asked again.

"Juliana threw a ball and hit him in the face." Valentina answered. "Even so, I don't understand what that has to do with my bikini!" She didn't want to see it.

"And when we were in line at the cinema about to go see Spiderman and a man asked you if you were single... What happened to the man?" Wondered the kangaroo.

"Juliana knocked his popcorn on the floor and poured a soda over his head!" She was beginning to understand her daughter's point.

"And when the waiter at that restaurant left you his phone number, what did she do?" Kara wanted her mother to remember.

"She almost got him fired!" She would never forget that day.

"And when..."

"OK, OK... listen darling..." Valentina crouched down to her daughter's level, "When you grow up you will meet someone who is going to drive you crazy!" The girl looked at her with full attention. "And you will want to draw the attention of that person... Like you with Bella for example," the photographer found a way to explain. "What do you do when you want to attract the attention of one of your friends?" Valentina knew the girl had several. "What do you do when you want Bella to pay attention to you?" She specified.

"Nothing!" She answered simply.

"What do you mean nothing?" She could not believe the simplicity of her daughter.

"Mommy Juls says that we never go to the ladies... the ladies come to us!" She recited.

"Really? Is that what she says?" Of course Juliana would say that.

"What are you doing mom?" The girl saw her mother leave the black bikini and grab the white one.

"Let's see who goes to who, darling!" She went to the bathroom to change. "Oh you are going to suffer brunette!" She murmured.

When Valentina came out of the bathroom already dressed in her bathing suit, she saw her daughter sitting on the end of her bed, "Kangaroo..."

"Don't call me that!"

"Kara..." she corrected. "Do you need something?" The presence of her daughter was making her nervous.

"Yeah... I want to go to help mom work on the quad," she said.

"Honey, you know your mom will love that, I don't see the problem."

"No, it's not a problem, it's just... I want to wear clothes like the ones she is wearing..." Juliana had put on her old blue overalls, "do you think she will get mad if I wear one of hers?" The brunette had a closet full of various sizes.

Valentina couldn't help but smile at how delicate her daughter was being with her girlfriend's situation. "I think it would make her very happy. While I finish changing, why don't you go pick one and I will help you put it on," she hadn't even finished speaking when her daughter had already disappeared. "Well now it's you and me..." she was talking to her bikini, "against my daughter and a quad!" The battle was not going to be easy . "Luckily we have reinforcements!" She touched her breasts and looked in the mirror. "A piece of cake!"

It was more than evident that Juliana was going to lose the battle. Valentina put on a dress, grabbed her sunglasses, and helped her daughter put on the little jumpsuit. It was a little short on her legs but it didn't matter. "Look at you! You're a mini mechanic!" She said enthusiastically. "Let's go?" She held out her hand to her daughter.

"I hope no one gets hurt." Kara said to her mother, taking her by the hand. The little girl still remembers the time Juliana hit a wall.

As soon as they stepped onto the grass, they decided to go through the pool first so that Kara could show her aunts and uncles her new outfit. Apparently, Derek and Sam were enjoying splashing the four women because Valentina could hear Lauren's threatening screams towards the boys.

The four women were each lying on their respective loungers. The chairs all pointed towards the garage, where, away from the pool but perfectly visible, was her girlfriend. "Shit!" Valentina was already losing the battle, as she got closer to her friends, she could clearly see how Juliana was a perfect tribute to a calendar girl. As a result of the heat, apparently, the brunette had lowered her overalls and her upper body was only covered by a tight black top. All sweaty and stained with what appeared to be motorcycle grease. Juliana was ready for a fucking photoshoot from the photographer's point of view. How could someone who wore only a filthy blue rag look so damn sexy?

And the answer was given to her by her friends. "Hell! If only I could be that motorbike, I could have the sweetie's hands all over me!" None of the girls had noticed the presence of the Carvajal's.

"Fifteen more minutes staring at her and I will become gay for Juliana!" Assured Mariana.

"If only Valentina would let us touch that stomach..." Shane was not far behind. "I could stop thinking it's an optical illusion!" Obviously, the few clothes on Juliana's upper body were showing the best of her.

"Oh look, she's going to do it again!" Camila announced and Juliana inadvertently obliged. The athlete bent down to look at the bottom of the quad, revealing her second-best attribute to the girls.

"Definitely sticking with her butt!" Squares versus ass. Apparently, the Latina chose the latter.

At that moment Juliana opened a bottle of water and proceeded to pour it over her head. Her girlfriend was a fucking provocateur.

"Oh my God! If I were a drop of water..." This was the last comment that Valentina would allow.

"CAN YOU STOP LOOKING AT MY GIRLFRIEND?!!" Which made the four friends jump.

"OK!" They said at the same time.

"God, you dumb fucking blonde! You almost killed me with that scare... And what are you laughing at, little mouse?... Oh, another mechanic?" Lauren had already noticed her niece's outfit.

"She wants to work with her mother." Valentina explained without taking her eyes from Juliana who was now tucked under the motorcycle.

"Can we continue with the show?" Someone needed to explain to Camila that she is not in the cinema.

"Kara, can you tell your mother..." The photographer bent down and whispered something in her daughter's ear.

The little girl ran off like a carrier pigeon. When she got close to her mother, the brunette could see two little feet waiting for her. She came out from under the vehicle to meet her daughter. "Did you get bored of the pool or...? Wow... look what we have here." Juliana grabbed her daughter's hand and gave her a little spin. "Why this outfit?" Although she had already guessed.

"I want to help you," she confessed.

"Seriously?" She continued. The little girl nodded her head. "But you still need something..." she said.

"What?" Kara looked down at her outfit.

"This..." Juliana ran her greased hand over her face leaving a good part of it stained. "There, that's better! Come on and I'll teach you!" Mechanics classes had started it seems.

"Oh, before we start, I have to give you a message from mom..." the little girl pointed towards the pool.

When the brunette looked, she saw how her girlfriend was arguing, or so she thought, with her friends. "Tell me kangaroo."

"Juliana: put on your overalls!" She informed her as her mother had requested.

In the pool, Valentina was trying to make her friends understand that her girlfriend was not the star of a fucking porn movie.

"Mom!" The carrier pigeon returned. "I have a message for you," she announced.

"Okay..." in the distance she saw Juliana looking at them.

"Valentina: I don't want to, I'm hot. I love you."

Kara ran again in the direction of her most recent mother and when she was within a few centimetres, she jumped, "Hahaha I knew you were going to do that!" Juliana said, after catching her. "Another message?" She wanted to give the girl time to recover from the run and the jump.

"Juliana: This would be your third warning on the 'couch list' and three warnings are equivalent to..."

"One night on the couch," the brunette finished Valentina's message and swallowed hard.

"I have another message..." Kara said, "Sweetie: Don't listen to your bitter girlfriend, the less clothes the better!" We already know who the sender was.

"Tell..."

"Wait, I forgot one..." the girl interrupted, "Juls: our room is the second on the right!" Camila offered alternatives.

This time she approached the group at the pool, walking. The little girl was running out of energy. She looked at her mother and said, "Valentina: Your loss. I love you," the blonde did not see that coming. "Lolo: Valentina is definitely not bitter. I hope you understand me." Valentina rolled her eyes at that message. "Camz: Thanks for the offer but I prefer the couch!" End of messages.

The unhappy face with which the little girl returned to the brunette was not missed. This was putting her in a bad mood. "Juliana: I'm going to give you one last chance to pull up your overalls... Sweetie: Well done!... Juls: Lolo's breasts are more comfortable than the sofa!" The little girl wasn't taking time to breathe. She said it all as quickly as possible.

When Valentina saw that her daughter was coming back to her and that her girlfriend was still semi naked, she supposed that the message was not positive. "What now?" She asked the mini blonde.

"Love: I'm not afraid of you. I love you. Lolo: I know. Camz: I still prefer the couch." She reported. "I don't want to play this anymore!" Said the little girl, throwing herself on to her stomach on top of one of the loungers.

Juliana closely followed her daughter's journey, smiling as she listened to her complain about having to carry one more message until she threw herself on the lounger. "Let's see what your next move will be Carvajal," she murmured as she watched Valentina move to the edge of the pool and stop at the end. "What is she doing?"

What Juliana did not expect was her girlfriend to start removing items, first to go were the sunglasses which were placed on the table. And as if it were a scene from a fucking movie, moving in slow motion, the photographer took the hem of her dress and slowly pulled it up, revealing the bottom of her tiny white bikini. "GOD! VALENTINA! I'M ALREADY PUTTING IT ON!" The brunette passed her arms through the sleeves of her overalls. "VALENTINA! LOOK! IT IS DONE! I'M DRESSED!" She zipped the overalls closed.

"BOOOOO!!!" The boos were coming from the others around the pool.

"WHIPPED!" Lauren yelled at her.

"MORMONAL!" Kara shouted that apparently she had acquired a new concept, with error, but new at last.

The blonde stopped the dress just before it passed over her head. She looked at her girl and gave her the most malicious smile Juliana had ever seen. And the dress was removed.

"Phhuuwwweeeeet-Phheeew!!" Derek Wolf whistled.

"MARRY ME CARVAJAL!" This was Sam.

"EVERYONE BOW DOWN TO VALENTINA'S BREASTS!" Apparently the dancer had her own Deity.

"MAKE ME YOURS!" Lauren joined the provocations.

"I'M HUNGRY!" Kara preferred to add something rather than be left out.

Pamela Anderson running with a float in her hand on the beach was cute compared to what Valentina was planning to do. The blonde took several steps back as if taking momentum and stopped to look at her girlfriend again, the brunette was paralysed in exactly the same spot as when Valentina had looked at her defiantly the first time. And the blonde ran, slowly, but ran before the attentive and penetrating gaze of her girlfriend... SPLASH!... scoring a ten for the dive she made. She did not resurface until she touched the far end of the pool. Thank goodness for those years as a cheerleader.

She came out of the water with a triumphant smile. She had definitely won the battle, the war, and everything else she could think of. She leaned against the wall and looked at her friends but found them staring straight ahead again. "GOD!" The first thing she thought was that Juliana had dared to undress again, but before she could turn to look, something was jumping over her.

As soon as she saw her girlfriend enter the pool, Juliana ran towards the water and did not hesitate to get in. That body belonged to her. Apparently, the athlete hadn't wasted time by taking off her clothes. The brunette cared little about the protests, she located the pair of blue eyes that were looking at her and went straight there.

"Don't even think about it!" Valentina was going to play hard to get. She splashed her girlfriend trying to stop her, but the brunette in the faithful imitation of Terminator continued advancing without taking her eyes off her target. "Juliana!" This time she splashed her with all her might. "I'm warning you. The couch is going to be your bed every night!" As soon as she arrived, she stopped her with her arms.

Juliana this time was not playing, she grabbed her girlfriend's arms and raised them above her head, holding them tightly in place. "I don't need a bed to do what I want to do!" She said staring into her eyes. Valentina was still struggling, but obviously the brunette was stronger. "Do you have any idea what you just did? Do you have any idea how fucking sexy you are?" She asked. "So, I'll sleep on the couch for thirty more nights, but you won't leave this pool until I allow it. Do you hear me?" Valentina could not distinguish the three colours that characterized her girl's eyes, right now they seemed an intense red.

"I'm not afraid of you, Valdés!"

"But you should be!" The athlete grabbed both of her girlfriend's hands with her left hand and without letting any more time pass she attacked her girlfriend's mouth with a not-so-subtle kiss.

"Erm... I think we should take Kara in for something to eat." Mariana was the first to notice the sexual tension.

"But this is the best part of the movie!" The dancer once again in her own little world.

"C'mon darling. After all the sweetie has already stained the water!" Lauren knew it was time to retreat. The group was leaving one by one.

When Juliana released Valentina's arms, the photographer took advantage and unzipped her girlfriend's overalls. "Take them off!" She ordered. And without having the strength to disobey her queen, the brunette threw her overalls out of the pool. "Listen to me, brunette..." Valentina grabbed her girl's face, "I don't want games, I don't want provocations, I don't want interruptions, I just want you inside MEEE!" Her wishes were granted.

"Like this?" Juliana waited for the blonde to settle before she started to move her hand. Her other hand was already doing its thing with one of the blonde's nipples. "You have no idea how good this feels... how much... GOD... how much I like having you like this... at my disposal." While her fingers continued to touch all the right buttons, her mouth left traces everywhere.

"Show me you mean it!" Valentina needed more. And what she asks for, she gets. Juliana added more. "Mmm... That!... There!... GOD JULIANA!" Valentina could not hold herself up anymore, she let the brunette take control of her body. "Just... a... little..." she murmured through clenched teeth.

"A little more?" Asked the brunette.

"Ufff... no... I think... that I... Oh God..." Between her girlfriend's travelling and the constant interruptions Valentina could not take it anymore. Even so, she tried, with her hands clinging tightly to Juliana's back while she suppressed her screams by biting the shoulder of the woman who was about to give her an orgasm.

** Meanwhile in the kitchen **

"What was that?" Kara heard a loud scream.

All her aunts and uncles looked at each other. "It must be a wild animal," the first thing that crossed Derek's mind.

"Seriously?" That didn't scare Kara away at all. "A tiger? A lion? What? What?" Of course, being the daughter of Valentina Carvajal, she wants to know what the fucking animal was.

They looked at Kara thinking of a way out of the mess they found themselves in. "Well, it sounded like a bear to me." The Latina thought it was the most likely.

"Lolo..." Camz approached the ear of her future wife. "Did the bear just have an orgasm?" The dancer had perfectly identified the origin of the scream.

"Yes Camz..." she affirmed, "the bear is having a great time while we have to answer a million questions from the cub!" Obviously, Lauren would prefer to swap places with the bear.

"I'll go check!" The little girl got off her chair.

"You're not going anywhere!" Lauren managed to grab her. "What if the bear attacks you?!" Originality was something lacking in the group.

"What if it attacks my moms?" The girl was worried.

"Who is going to attack me?" Valentina staggered into the kitchen.

"MOM! THERE IS A BEAR OUT THERE!!" You know the things they tell you when you're a child and when you grow up you wonder how you didn't realise what was going on? Well, this is a perfect example.

"A bear?" Valentina asked confused.

"Well, we believe there must be a bear nearby because of THE NOISES we heard!" Mariana remarked.

The tomato-coloured blonde tried to speak, "Erm..." If the earth decided to swallow her, now would be a good time.

"We have to tell Mommy Juls!" The girl tried to leave again. Nothing cowardly about this kangaroo.

"You stay here!" Lauren stopped her again.

"Don't worry darling... I'll tell her... but first I need to find the first aid box." Valentina pointed to a door behind Sam. The man got up to look for the box.

"Did the bear attack Juliana?" The Latina asked her former captain in a low voice.

"It may have left a few claw marks!" She was referring to the scratch of her nails on the brunette's back. "And possibly sank its teeth into her shoulder!"

"Dangerous bear!"

"I have to go." Valentina wanted to nurse her brunette once more.

"I'm going with you!" The girl insisted.

"NO, YOU STAY WITH ME!" Again, Lauren stopped her.

"Well at least we now know who wins between the bear and the beast, right?" They concluded.

"Lolo..." again the dancer approached her girlfriend.

"Tell me honey."

"I really want to play zoo!" I repeat... Camila in her own little world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story seems to go on forever but it is so much fun. I will continue to plod on with the translation.  
> The next chapter is hilarious... The test of the 'Holy Trinity' is coming!!! 🤣


	39. 39: The proof

"This is life!" Lauren was enjoying a beautiful sunny afternoon lying on an inflatable lounger in the pool, with a glass of champagne in hand, "NO! It's better than life itself... this is heaven. I just need Cara Delevingne to appear as my maid to refill my glass."

"Lolo loves when I dress up as a maid," Camila commented in passing. The four friends were so relaxed that none of them made an effort to answer the dancer's comment.

After lunch, an injured Juliana had been in charge of cleaning the pool and now her girlfriend and her friends were enjoying the clean water, while she and her little girl were working on the quadbikes. Derek and Sam had tired of the sun and were making good use of the well-equipped game room.

"I love your girlfriend V! Seriously... Let's toast to the sweetie coming into our lives." The Latina raised her glass and the rest followed her.

"I toast to Mr. and Mrs. Wilson who filled the refrigerator with alcohol!" Mariana was already on her third glass, sprawled in one of the lounge chairs next to Shane.

The latter was the next to raise her glass. "I toast to each of us getting what she deserves tonight!" The singer was eager to try the mattress in her room.

"I toast to world peace." Camila said in her best Miss Congeniality impression.

"Can you stop looking at her like that? You are going to dirty the water again!" Lauren warned Valentina, who was also floating on one of the inflatable loungers, and watching Juliana teach her daughter how to drive the already fixed quad-bike. "So much for convincing you to change your bikini!"

It had been very difficult to reassure the brunette when she saw that her girlfriend was getting ready to sunbathe with her friends again in her white bikini. If Derek and Sam hadn't shown up in time to hold her, they all knew they would have to get the first aid box out again. Therefore wisely, and with several requests from her friends, Valentina changed her bikini and did not remove her dress until she reached the water, making sure Kara and the bikes were keeping her girlfriend busy.

"I can't help it!" The photographer defended herself. "She has me hypnotised!" She added as she took a sip from her glass.

"Can we look at her too?" Camila asked.

"You guys turn around and I'll convince my daughter to sleep with her aunts tonight!" She was not in the mood for Camila.

"Don't you dare look at her darling!" Nothing was going to spoil the Latina's night.

"LOOK MOM! I CAN HANDLE IT!" Kara circled the pool on her quad and stopped just in sight of her mother. "I KNOW HOW TO BRAKE NOW!"

"Very good darling! But tell your mother that I do not want you to drive without a helmet." One of the two had to be the spoilsport mother. "And tell her that I love her," the messages returned.

After a while they heard the noise of the motorbike again. The little girl returned with a helmet on her head. "Mommy says that she loves you more than Cristiano Ronaldo loves himself... and she also says that you need to pull up your bikini straps," the little girl did not wait for a reply and took off on her new toy.

"How the hell did she manage to see them from there?" Valentina raised her hand and shook it towards her girlfriend as if to say, 'No chance am I getting strap marks.'

"VALENTINA!" Her friends challenged her when they saw how Juliana left what she was doing to walk furiously towards the pool.

"You couldn't see her calm... you had to wake up the beast!" Lauren hated to have her tanning interrupted. "Say goodbye to clean water and let's go look for a place to hide... DEREK BRING THE FIRST AID KIT!" Lauren screamed indignantly.

The athlete arrived at the edge of the pool, "Come here!" She ordered Valentina.

"Make me!" She replied.

"You're playing with fire blonde... I warn you!" She said pointing at her with her finger.

"Who needed the first aid kit?" Derek arrived with the box. "Did the bear attack again?" He looked to the women for an answer.

At that moment, the doorbell rang. "What the hell is that noise?" Lauren thought she was hearing things.

"It's the doorbell. My parents installed horns on this side of the garden so it could also be heard out here," the brunette explained. "The bell has saved you." She told her girlfriend as she walked towards the house to see who was at the door.

"I'll wait for you here, brunette!" She yelled, getting a smile from her girl. When she realised that all her friends were staring at her, she pulled her eyes away from Juliana and faced them. "What?" She asked.

"Who are you and what have you done with the president of the celibacy club?" Mariana thought her friend had been changed.

"Just wait until Juls surprises her!" Camila added.

"What are you talking about honey?" The Latina was now very interested in the conversation.

"NOTHING!" She didn't want Camila to say anything. It wasn't clear if Valentina's red complexion was from the sun or from embarrassment.

"But Juls said she had a surprise for you?!" The photographer could already see Lauren's evil smile.

"LAUREN!" Saved by the bell again. Juliana appeared near the pool, but this time she was addressing the Latina. "The party planner is here. You have to explain to her what you want. Get out of the pool while I go get her," she asked kindly. "Can you come closer?" This time she looked at her girlfriend.

Valentina did not contradict her and paddled with her own arms until she was on the edge of the pool. "Do you need something Miss Vald...?" The blonde couldn't finish because the brunette's mouth wouldn't let her.

"Just that, nothing more. You can continue doing your thing," the athlete went to the garage and got on to a quad bike, her daughter following behind on her own.

"Wait... Did she say the party planner was a woman?" Mariana asked the group, "I thought they said it was Mr Anderson?" She remembered well.

"That's true," Shane confirmed.

"GOD DAMN IT!" Valentina got out of the pool as best she could. A woman holding on to her brunette was not something she could allow.

As soon as she finished drying herself and managed to put her dress back on, she noticed her girlfriend had returned with a guest behind her. More precisely, holding on to her. "Don't say anything!" She warned the Latina who was already looking at her, "Come on!" They both approached the newcomer.

"Let me help you," The brunette extended her hand to the woman, who without wasting the opportunity, took Juliana's hand and got off the motorcycle. That gesture was not at all liked by the photographer, who already had her bitch face on.

"Valentina, Lauren, this is Florence Anderson, the daughter of Mr. Anderson. Miss Anderson..."

"Juliana, call me Florence please," the two friends looked at each other. They could recognise that tone of voice a million miles away.

"Florence this is Valentina, my girlfriend, and this is Lauren, a friend and the hostess of the party," she made the necessary introductions.

The woman looked the other two up and down but with no intention of greeting them, "I thought it was your party?" She spoke to the brunette, grabbing her arm. "My father has told me a lot about the parties that used to take place in this house," she said, ignoring the presence of the others who were approaching.

"So you are in charge of your father's business now?" She continued the conversation without noticing the murderous looks from her girlfriend and friend.

"MOMMY!" The kangaroo made it look easy, if she wanted attention from her mother, she just had to jump and let her mother catch her. Valentina made a mental note: 'jump on Juliana!'

"You have a daughter? They don't mention her in the magazines," it seems she had done her research.

"Yes." Valentina had already endured enough. "Kara... is our treasure," she approached her girlfriend who now had the little girl in her arms and left a short kiss on her lips. "Shouldn't we let her start doing her job?" She asked. Nobody would ignore Valentina Carvajal.

"Just because your father was an excellent party planner doesn't mean you are." Lauren wasn't going to put up with being ignored either.

"So keep in mind that this will be your test for future reference." When they get together, they could be terrible.

"Follow me, we are going to explain to you what we want." The Latina and the blonde entered the house followed by Florence, to whom Juliana gave an apologetic smile.

"Mommy... Do you remember when I told you that Bella, Joy and Mari were fighting to play with me and you told me that I didn't have to get into cat fights?" Kara never misses one.

"Yes, I remember kangaroo."

"Well, you shouldn't get in to one either," she concluded, making the brunette laugh.

"Do not worry Kangaroo, I have my own bear to play with," she had the marks on her body, which were still burning, to remind her perfectly.

** In the living room - One hour later **

Juliana, who was sitting in a chair with Kara on top, had already tired of the mistreatment that her girlfriend and the Latina were inflicting on the party planner.

"Mommy I think she's about to cry!" Kara had noticed too and was feeling sorry for the woman.

"If I say I want three fucking bars... then there are going to be three fucking bars!" Lauren was being deliberately confrontational now.

"But that is not necessary, with the number of guests you are expecting, two would be enough. There will also be waiters circulating the area." Florence explained with what little calm she had left.

Lauren and Valentina looked at each other, "Do you have trouble understanding what Lauren is saying to you? It works like this... we ask and..."

"We get!" The Latina finished the blonde's sentence.

Juliana felt how Kara hid her head in her chest, scared by the way her mother and her aunt were behaving. "RIGHT, THAT'S ENOUGH!" The three women looked at the brunette who had stood with her daughter in her arms.

"But..." Lauren wanted to continue.

"I said enough," she repeated. "Florence... do you have all the necessary information?" The planner nodded relieved. "Perfect, I'll show you the area so you can get an idea of the space you have to work with and then I'll take you to the gate." Juliana put her daughter down and opened the living room door for Miss Anderson to go out. "You two stay here!" She automatically stopped the two friends who were about to follow them.

"But it's my party!" Claimed the Latina.

"I don't care, you've done enough. You stay here!" She ordered turning towards the door.

"Why? Do you want to be alone with her?" Valentina looked at her crossing her arms.

Juliana turned and stopped two centimetres from her girlfriend. "Don't push it Valentina!" She warned.

"I'll do whatever I want!" She replied.

"I do not know what way you are used to treating people, but in this house, nobody has ever been humiliated, and it will stay that way. Do you hear me?" Both gazes met as if it were a spell fight in the best Harry versus Voldemort style. Juliana threw an Expeliarmus and Valentina attacked with an Avada Kedabra. "Are you coming with me kangaroo?" The brunette broke the eye contact offering her hand to her daughter. The little girl did not hesitate to grab her mother's hand as they both went in search of Florence.

"Hey..." Lauren approached her friend, "Is it wrong that I'm feeling a little turned on by the sweetie right now?" This was not the time Lauren.

"SHUT UP!" Valentina's pride could not allow the brunette to scold her in front of people. "CAMILA, MARIANA, SHANE!" She yelled.

In the blink of an eye her friends appeared. They had been listening to everything and could not believe how Juliana had stood up to them like that. The last person who had dared, spent three years of high school getting slushies thrown in their face.

"What's up Valen?" The dancer asked carefully.

"I want to initiate _'The test of the Holy Trinity_ _!_ _'_ " She said without blinking, while the other four women looked at each other.

"Valentina, are you sure? Because there is no going back afterwards." Shane knew what she was talking about, after the test she had to accept that her boyfriend was a first-rate voyeur.

"When do you want to do it?" Mariana was Valentina's substitute.

"As soon as possible, now, when she returns from escorting the party planner out," she affirmed. "And I want level five!" She informed.

"ARE YOU CRAZY V?" Level five was the worst of all. "She won't make it!" No one would.

"We have never gone to level five before, right Lolo?" Or so she thought.

"Never!" Confirmed the Latina.

"ARE YOU WITH ME IN THIS OR NOT?" Valentina had gotten tired of the protests of her friends. "Did I not participate when you asked?" The rest lowered their heads in shame.

"Easy V, we are in, right?" Lauren put a hand in the centre waiting for the rest of the hands.

"I'm going first!" Mariana confirmed her participation by adding her hand.

"The judge is ready to preside." Shane joined.

"Juls will not be able to resist us!" The dancer was excited as she joined her hand.

"ARE WE READY?" Valentina asked, placing her hand on top.

"YESSS!!!!" Was the battle cry of the women.

"Now let's get to work!"

~~~~~~

When Juliana returned the quad to the garage, after taking Florence to the gate, her daughter convinced her to play in the pool with her. And as the brunette can never deny her daughter's requests, she changed into her bikini and went to the pool area. When they arrived, they noticed Shane on one of the lounge chairs, talking on her cell phone and without disturbing her, they got into the water.

"The Diet Coke is already in the water. She's playing with the chocolate milk," Shane whispered into the phone using what seemed to be some sort of code name.

Lauren, who was standing by the window, confirmed the signal, "Juliana is in the pool, it is now or never!" She reported.

"Remember Mariana..." Valentina was giving pointers, "a lot of movement of the hips and you need to be very sensual." The blonde already had the cutlery ready to eat her girlfriend raw at the first glance.

"Calm blonde... do not forget that I am a sexy geisha!" This was not the time for cultural references.

"Is that what we ate the other day at Lolo's house?" Asked the dancer anxious for her turn.

"No darling, that was sushi... I thought you were born in North America?" She addressed Mariana.

"CAN YOU PLEASE CONCENTRATE?!" Valentina asked. "You just need to go and run around the pool, I'm sure that'll be enough." The blonde looked like a technical director. "She seems to have a fetish for bouncing breasts." The blonde confessed a bedroom secret. "Ready?

"Ready!"

And Mariana left the building. She was wearing short shorts, running shoes, and only a bikini top covering her chest. "I want to run!" Obviously acting was not her strong suit. Even so, she reached the edge of the pool and began to run around it. Juliana and Kara, who at this moment were playing hold their breath under the water, did not even notice Mrs. Grey's trot.

"Not a glance!" Shane whispered into the phone, "I repeat, not a glance!" The woman obviously thought she had a radio.

"Not even a look?" The Latina nodded at the blonde's question. Valentina moved closer to the speaker. "More power!" She ordered.

On the other side of the line the singer heard the order and was about to give the signal to the runner. "I NEED ANOTHER DRINK!" She screamed.

Mariana recognised the signal and braked right in front of the athlete, turning her back to do stretching exercises. She spread her legs and with her bottom in the air, she slowly stretched herself over one leg and then the other. Then she turned and did the exact same thing but this time her breasts were visible to everyone, stretching to one leg and then the other.

"Absolutely nothing... I repeat... nothing at all!!" Shane was amazed.

"MORE POWER!" Valentina shouted again.

"THIS CHAMPAGNE NEEDS MORE BUBBLES!" Shane announced, earning a rare look from her niece who was keeping time on how long her mother was underwater.

When Juliana came to the surface, Mariana took advantage of it. "Running isn't really my thing," she said, leaving her shoes to the side and removing her shorts very slowly, she even added a little cry of, "oops!" When she got them tangled between her legs. When she was only in her bikini, she dove headfirst into the water and swam to the stairs. When she arrived, she threw her wet hair back and in the most sensual way possible, climbed the stairs accentuating the movement of her hips.

"I'm sorry to tell you but Juliana has just defeated the first obstacle." Shane was talking into her cell phone. "Mariana leaves the test with zero glances under her belt," end of the test for Mariana Gray.

"My turn!" Camila was excited. They all knew that no one could resist her.

"Are you taking a bottle?" Asked a nervous Valentina. "Well, I think it could be Juliana's weakness," Camz was sure of her abilities. The dancer walked out onto the patio ready to cause a heart attack, she was wearing a black bikini, the colour the photographer had told her to wear, and she had added a pair of red heels. Camila looked like she just stepped off the cover of one of the basketball players previously owned magazines.

"Calm down V, nobody can resist my fiancée." Lauren calmed her. "I would have jumped on top of her myself if we weren't in the middle of the test!" She confessed.

"That is no indication Lauren, you have zero self-control!" Valentina said with good reason

"SHHH! She's almost there," the Latina announced, dodging the accusation.

"What is Juliana's position?" She asked into the cell phone, she couldn't see what her girlfriend was doing.

"Diet Coke is teaching the chocolate milk to dive," Shane answered, not very subtly.

"Keep your head in between your arms." Kara was already in position to jump into the water and Juliana next to her was going over the main rules when Camila interrupted them.

"Juls... can you tie the ties of my swimsuit a little tighter?" She asked, turning her back and showing the two loose strips.

Juliana grabbed both strips and without taking her eyes off her daughter, she began to tie a knot. "Are you ready? Good... now flex your legs to gain momentum... all done Camz... and jump..." The dancer, somewhat disappointed by the little attention she received, walked to the chairs where Shane and Mariana were.

"She didn't pay any attention, we await further instructions," Shane informed.

"She didn't even look at her ass?" Lauren asked to be sure.

"She didn't look at anything. Her eyes did not leave Kara," confirmed Mariana taking over the cell phone. "In other news, the little one has learned to dive," she announced something irrelevant.

"Proceed to the second stage," directed the photographer.

"THIS DRINK NEEDS A BIT OF ICE!" Mariana shouted shaking her glass and looking at Camila.

The dancer leaned down and whispered, "I don't know..." It seems she had forgotten what that signal meant.

"The trick with the bottle Camila." Shane murmured to jog her memory.

"She has already grabbed the bottle." Lauren wasn't going to miss this. "This has to be a joke, no one in their right mind would pay attention to a little girl when my girlfriend is almost naked beside them," the lawyer couldn't understand it.

"Well, several have fallen with her bottle trick," Valentina was trying to be optimistic.

In the pool, Camila, now dressed in a tiny white T-shirt, was pouring a litre of water over herself. Anyone could see she was ready to compete in one of the wet t-shirt competitions that takes place on most beaches during the summer.

"OH MY GOD, MY NIPPLES ARE SO HARD FROM THE WATER!" That was not on the script. "LOOK HOW THEY BOUNCE!" Camila was jumping up and down.

"If she doesn't look at her, I swear I'm going to start doubting your girlfriend's lesbianism V... Oh my God, what am I doing wasting my time in here?" The lawyer asked herself.

"Despite Camila's best attempt, she did not receive a look. The Diet Coke has the chocolate milk on her shoulders and is threatening to throw her in to the water, by the way Mariana is about to switch sides!" Camila's nipples almost had her.

Camila looked to the window where she knew her fiancée was and shrugged her shoulders as if to say, 'Now what?'

"Nothing works!" Valentina kicked the table indignantly. "IT'S MY DAUGHTER!" Suddenly something had occurred to her.

"Okay, I'd like you to stop looking like a crazy bitch while shouting random things," Lauren said.

"I mean, my daughter is acting as a blocker, you have to get her out of there, do you hear me?" She asked aloud. "Take the chocolate milk out of the garden, then proceed with Camila's final phase," she ordered.

"Remove the chocolate milk. Copy!" Was the answer from the other side. "Eh... There's a problem..." she was back on the phone, "we don't know how!" She reported.

"Leave it to me..." Valentina went to the door, "KARA CARVAJAL, YOU HAVE THREE SECONDS TO GET IN HERE, YOU NEED TO ORDER YOUR CLOTHES RIGHT NOW!" She went back to the room.

"It's working... the chocolate milk is coming out of the water," Shane announced. "Camila's final phase in progress, THE COLOUR OF MY DRINK IS DARK!" She communicated the signal to the dancer, who winked at her and went right to grab the suntan lotion that was near the loungers.

With the suntan lotion in hand, she spoke to the brunette who was now resting against one of the walls of the pool. "Juls... could you rub some suntan lotion on my back?" She asked using her most seductive voice.

"Sure Camz," the brunette agreed and jumped out of the water.

"The Diet Coke is about to fall," Mariana commented triumphantly into the phone.

"I told you Mila would not fail!" Lauren elbowed Valentina, who was not at all amused that her girlfriend was touching the dancer.

But again, Juliana surprised everyone. She grabbed a towel and when Camila turned on to her stomach, she placed it on top of her, covering her behind. It was a kind of warning, 'Don't even think that I will put sunscreen on that part!' In a matter of seconds Juliana had rubbed the cream into the dancer's back.

"All done Camz," she said and threw herself on to one of the free loungers to dry herself.

"We have a new record!" No one had ever come this far. "She only touched her back... I repeat, only the back. Second obstacle overcome. Lauren everything is in your hands!" Mariana and the singer looked at each other surprised, while a dejected Camila sat next to them. "Don't be sad Camz." Mariana calmed her down.

"She didn't even look at me!" The dancer felt rejected. "Lolo didn't even get to put the suntan lotion on me," she confessed pouting.

"And you're telling me? If Derek saw me taking my shorts off like that, tomorrow I would appear pregnant!" Mariana's example was a bit much, right?

"How do I look?" Yes, now it was Lauren's turn. Lauren in a white mesh that was practically a thread on the bottom and two little triangles on the top, was ready to make her first appearance in the _'The Holy Trinity Test.'_

"OH MY GOD LAUREN... Where did you get that bikini? It should be illegal or should at least come with a warning that says, 'not suitable for under 21s'!" It was impossible for Juliana not to look at the Latina.

"Just to be sure V... Are you sure you want level five?" As much as she joked all the time, she did want to continue her friendship with the blonde.

"Yes, if it becomes necessary, I want you to do it, Lern... but I doubt that you'll have to!" Valentina knew that as soon as the Latina left the house even the birds would be looking at her.

"OK... I want the status of the Diet Coke," she said to the phone.

"Diet Coke is reading on one of the chairs," they answered. "We await further instructions."

"I leave in three... two... one," and Lauren was already walking towards the pool. She put herself at the other end of the athlete's gaze. She stopped, looked straight at the chairs, let her hair down, then shook her head several times, letting her loose hair sweep back and forth.

The photographer who was watching from the window received confirmation of what she was seeing herself, "Incredible, but Juliana did not lift her eyes from the book. Mariana is already gay... I repeat... Mariana is already gay and in my opinion that bikini should be prohibited!" It was something that everyone agreed on.

"SHIT!" Valentina's feelings were mixed, on the one hand she wanted her girlfriend to fail so as not to feel so guilty about the party planner and on the other hand the jealousy of seeing her friends trying to conquer her was getting worse and worse. "Tell Lolo to move on," she announced.

"A LITTLE WATER WOULDN'T HURT!" She announced.

Lauren understood perfectly. She jumped into the water until she reached the edge just below the basketball player. She took a jump and managed to get out. When she was standing in front of her practically blocking the sun, she turned and bent down to shake off who knows what leaving her entire butt at the mercy of the brunette.

"Calm down Camz!" The singer had to catch Camila before she went hunting for her prey.

"HELL... How does Lauren have that body with all the burgers she eats?" More than one of them were drooling.

"Can you tell me what's happening? From here I can't see anything!" Valentina needed information.

"Valentina..." Mariana spoke, "The second attempt also failed, are you sure you want the next one?" It had never been seen before.

The blonde gulped and looked around the room to make sure her daughter was still cleaning her room. "Pro... proceed," she said hesitantly.

"I LIKE IT WITHOUT ICE." Mariana passed the signal.

The lawyer looked at the window where her friend was and then at the group, was Lauren freaking out?

"I LIKE IT WITHOUT ICE!" Mariana repeated even louder.

The Latina took a breath and brought her hands to the strips of her bikini to loosen them, if Valentina wanted the maximum effect, she was going to have it. In five seconds, Lauren's breasts were free of any clothing. Yes, topless in front of Juliana, who was still stuck in her book.

"She did it," Shane muttered.

"I admire you Camz!" This was Mariana, who at least by this point was already bisexual.

"You have no idea how good it feels to touch them," added the dancer.

Lauren, surprised by the lack of attention, was not going to give up, she leaned back on the next lounger and was ready for anything, "It's so hot!" She screeched.

"Mmhm," was the only thing Juliana murmured.

"Can you give me a drink of your water?" The lawyer leaned to one side resting her head on her arm. Her bare breasts pointed at the athlete.

"Sure," the brunette grabbed the bottle and without taking her eyes off her book, passed the bottle to her. "Here you go," she said.

Lauren drank the water before raising her arms and yawning... was that another signal?

"Test passed.... I repeat... test passed!" Was the last thing Valentina heard before hanging up the phone.

After ten minutes Kara had returned to the pool to continue playing with her mother and the group were meeting in the living room again. "What are you doing?" They asked the photographer when they noticed she was about to leave.

"I want to get rid of any doubt," she said as she walked towards the pool, as soon as she appeared, the brunettes gaze was immediately on her, "I want to talk to you!" She said dryly, leaving again, followed by the eyes of her girlfriend.

The girls watched from inside as Juliana lifted her daughter out of the pool and followed her girlfriend.

"Apparently the sweetie's only weakness has a first and last name..." Lauren concluded.

"VALENTINA CARVAJAL!" The others said in unison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is my favourite chapter. I love these crazy women.


	40. 40. The legend of the enchanted lake

"It is not me you have to apologise to," Juliana reached the end of the pier where Valentina was waiting for her facing the lake.

"Sorry?" Valentina turned immediately. Apparently the blonde still had her bitch face on. "I don't think I have to apologise to anyone!" The Carvajal pride march began.

Juliana looked at her girlfriend as if she were doing an X-ray, she knew she was proud, it was one of the things she loved the most about her, her ability to defend her point until the last moment. The brunette sighed, she was finally able to put into practice one of her father's many pieces of advice... _'Juliana it is one thing to deal with an angry woman, but quite another to deal with an angry and proud woman. Study her movements, look at her with care and when the time is right, when you see fit... run daughter... run for your life!'_ Impossible to forget her father running along the same dock where they were standing at this moment after he himself had proved with conclusive evidence that her mother had been wrong.

But this time the brunette was not going to be the one to bend her arm, if the blonde wanted to arm wrestle, Juliana was going to put up resistance. Hands on the table 'DING, DING' let's start this match once and for all.

"What did you want to talk about then?" She tried to use the most serious tone she could but Valentina had no idea how Juliana would get when she was angry. With a glance from the blonde the basketball player was no longer in her right mind, but when the blonde raised her eyebrow... If it were up to the athlete, they would be in the lake having reconciliation sex right now.

"Lauren and I have decided to organise the party ourselves so we don't need any mediocre party planner!" Said the photographer. It was clear that the athlete's proof of fidelity had little impact on the photographer.

"No. I'm sorry, but the decision has been made. Florence is the party planner, end of story," the arms were still in the middle.

"According to whom?" Valentina was not going to loosen.

"According to me." Juliana either.

"And since you are the owner of the house, everything has to be done as you say, right?" The provocative smile she received from Juliana was like a red rag to a bull. "Well, I'm going to tell you something... If that woman comes back into this house, there will be no party!" The athlete's wrist does not falter for a second.

"First, this house is both yours and Kara's as well as mine," the blonde's arm loosened and the basketball player took the opportunity to gain ground, "and secondly... and pay close attention to what I'm going to say... the party will be organised by Florence, whether you are there or not. Do you need me to repeat it Carvajal?" _Juliana run!_ 'Run' was the only thing that sounded in the brunette's head when she saw the fury come out of her girlfriend's eyes. "And one more thing," More? Juliana was pushing her luck, "tomorrow, when Miss. Anderson arrives, you and Lauren will have an apology ready." The blonde's hand was brushing the table.

"And you are going to force me?" Valentina was reluctant to lose.

"If you want to put it like that. Yes." Uff the brunette was annihilating her. "Was there something else?" Almost.

Valentina closed the distance between them. "Don't even think that this discussion is over!" She whispered in her ear and then continued walking towards the house.

"I would be very disappointed in you if you let it go!" Yelled the athlete in the direction of the lake. The truth is, she never should have turned her back on her girlfriend.

**_SPLASH!_ **

To the water like a duck as Camila would say. A push from Valentina and Juliana was in the lake. "I don't like you!" The blonde said before leaving again.

"I LOVE YOU!" Juliana yelled from the lake. "You just had to run Juliana... you just had to run. You never learn!" She repeated to herself at the same time she heard another splash next to her. "Puppy! Are you coming to rescue me or are you running from Kara?" The puppy came swimming towards her. "You have to be careful with the Carvajal, you know? There is a small moment between when they look at you and start talking in which you get lost for them and BAM! that's when They attack!" The puppy barked. "Yes, I know. They also have me crazy Puppy. Me too." She sighed.

~~~~~~

A bath for Puppy and a shower for Juliana was what followed, before the exhausted brunette was ready to declare an exciting day over. The day Juliana returned to her past. The day Juliana passed the test of the Holy Trinity, although she didn't know. But even more important, it was the day that Juliana Valdés won against Valentina Carvajal... or at least that was what she believed.

"She left you a pillow and a blanket on the couch in case it was cold," Lauren informed her as soon as she entered the living room. The Latina was the last to go to bed. Juliana looked at the couch and confirmed what she had said. "Nobody faces Valentina Carvajal and lives to talk about it!" Lauren was the one who knew her best.

Juliana was going to answer but several suspicious noises were heard from the rooms above, followed by... "LOLO! ARE YOU ALMOST DONE?" Camila's voice.

"A SECOND CAMZI CAMZ," the Latina answered without looking at Juliana, who was getting comfortable on the sofa. "Let me tell you something sweetie..." the brunette thought the Latina was about to impart some 'helpful advice', "for next summer I think it would be better if you soundproofed all the rooms. Because what you are about to hear is not going to be pretty!" She warned.

"Miss Lauren..." the dancer appeared in a maid outfit with a feather duster in hand. "I finished cleaning the kitchen." Camila was in character "Should I start on your room now?" She asked her fiancée.

"Yes, but I will go with you, I don't want you to forget any little corner." They both went up the stairs to start the 'cleaning'.

"You and your big mouth Juliana... you and your big mouth!" She said to herself before pulling the pillow over her head.

** The next morning **

"Could they be more adorable?" The Gray's and the Evans were delighted looking at the scene in front of them.

"Do you think they're uncomfortable?" Derek was one of those people who needed his space to sleep, he didn't understand how the athlete could do it with Kara practically using her as a mattress and with Puppy on her feet.

"Can you explain what everyone is doing awake?" Without the noise of New York, Lauren couldn't sleep anymore.

"We wanted to take advantage of the day," Mariana informed her. "Have you seen this?" She pointed to the mother, daughter and dog sleeping on the couch.

"It's not my first time. I have over a thousand photos already of how ridiculously adorable they look," she said.

"Good morning!" The dancer with her good morning mood left the group with their mouths open.

"CAMZ! You need to take off your outfit before coming down for breakfast!" Apparently the little game had lasted all night.

"But at home I have breakfast in my pyjamas," her logic was not entirely wrong.

"Good daaa...! CAMILAAAA!" Apparently the day of the party was going to be full of surprises. "I don't know what kind of perverted games you and Lauren were playing, but could you not do it in front of my daughter!" She pointed to the chair.

"Perverted? Us? Look who's talking... clown!" If Lauren sank, she would take Valentina with her.

"We have tried nurse, flight attendant, little devil," Camila thought, "but never a clown!" She concluded to the regret of her friends.

"And don't forget about kitty!" Shane added.

"Mr. Tlacoyo, what are you doing here?" Sam began.

"I came to scratch my belly!" Derek continued.

"MEOW, MEOW, MEOW!" They said in chorus.

"I HATE EVERYONE!!" Lauren quickly went to the kitchen.

"You coming?" Shane asked the photographer.

"Yes. Just let me do something." Valentina began to shake the puppy, "Puppy do your thing!" She said, then followed her group of friends to the kitchen for breakfast.

"What did you do?" The singer asked curiously.

"Just wait and see," she answered.

Arriving in the kitchen they could hear a scream of "Shit!" from the brunette.

"Did you make the dog wake her up?" Lauren asked still offended. Valentina claimed that laughing at Juliana was her favourite part of the post-armchair morning.

"I'm going for a run," announced the basketball player entering the kitchen, "when I return, I want you all ready, because I'm going to take you somewhere," she announced. "No protests Lauren!" She anticipated and then disappeared. A few seconds later she returned, grabbed her girlfriend's face and give her a kiss. "Good morning love of my life." Now she was ready for her morning jog.

"Remove that silly face blondie, you have to think of something so the sweetie will let me stay here in the sun," she wanted to top up her tan.

"But I want to go!" Announced the dancer.

"You have to think of something so we can get back in time to get some sun before the party planner arrives," her version changed a bit.

"Lolo, I don't think you should sunbathe so much, it's not good for you," Camila said affectionately.

"You have to think of something so that the sweetie lengthens the excursion so we come back late and I am not tempted with the sun!" The Latina was definitely whipped.

** Hours later **

"WOW!" The group were impressed.

"It was a long hike... but for this view, it's worth it," Juliana commented. "If you don't have access from the house it's much more difficult to get here." The brunette had guided the group to a not so high hill, which was quite far from the house, but from the top you could see the crystal-clear lake in its entirety.

"You can see the house from here!" Mariana pointed to the front.

"Yes, it's all very nice and all, but now we have to walk two more hours to get back!" The Latina complained.

"Don't be rude Lauren, Juliana carried you most of the way here on her back!" Derek had gotten tired of listening to the false cries of the lawyer. "You and your obsession of wearing ridiculous shoes everywhere!"

"Hey! Be careful what you say about my shoes... they have feelings! Besides, I would have remained comfortable on the sweetie's back if it weren't for the little mouse taking my place... Look at her! She stuck her tongue out at me!" She pointed to her niece who was above the brunette.

"Lolo stop behaving like a little girl, will you?" We already know who the responsible mother will be in their relationship.

"Yeah Lolo, stop behaving like a little girl!" Her niece added fuel to the fire.

"You'll see when I throw you into the lake, little monster!" Threatened the lawyer.

"Actually," Juliana interrupted the fight, "that is exactly what we're all going to do!" She affirmed.

"WHAT?" No once voice could be distinguished.

"Are you crazy, drunk or what?" Now the singer began to protest.

"That's what we do here... Oh, you don't know the legend of the enchanted lake?" As her friends looked at her in amazement, she thought she better explain it to them. "Legend has it that in this place there was no lake, what's more," she looked at her daughter who was looking at her expectantly, "due to the lack of water this was almost an ugly desert," she added. "But one day a beautiful lady and her impossible love," she touched her little girl's nose, "decided to escape from the oppression of their families and run away so they could live their love without interference."

"AND WHAT HAPPENED?" The dancer was excited.

"Someone heard them planning their escape and ran to tell their parents," she said.

Lauren looked around her and couldn't believe how the rest were looking at the brunette. "Can you stop talking nonsense..."

"SHHHH! Let us hear the story," Sam shut her up.

"Gay!" Was the last thing the Latina managed to murmur before Juliana continued with her story.

"When they finally decided to escape, they realised that they were being followed," Kara's face was priceless, "holding hands they ran and ran," Juliana began to act out the story, "but with bad luck, they arrived here," she stopped and pointed to the ground where they all stood. All the friends, including Lauren, looked at the ground. "They both knew if they returned to their respective families, they would never see each other again. So, they decided that no matter what happened, they wanted to be together forever." The brunette couldn't help but look at her girlfriend. "They had no choice but to jump," she finished using a softer voice. "The next day, this hill was surrounded by that beautiful mirror of water," she pointed to the lake. "And if you're lucky," she spoke directly to Kara. "And if you look closely, sometimes you can see the happy couple reflected in the water." Everyone approached the edge consumed by curiosity, poor Tlacoyo was running out of lives fast! "Since then, the locals claim that if you want to know if your love is true, if your love is pure, you will only know... if you jump from here." She finished addressing them all.

"I'm going first!" No one doubted that Camila was going to jump.

While the dancer was getting ready, Valentina approached her girlfriend. "I love you," she whispered in her ear. "A lot... A lot... A lot." With each 'a lot' came a kiss. "But you have to tell me where you got this story from," she made the brunette turn to face her.

"My parents love, where else?" It was obvious. "It was a Valdés tradition to come up here and jump. We did it every year, or at least since I dared to do it... from I was about five," she recounted. "It is not very high and incidentally, the way back is much shorter from down there," she added. "My mother said this it was a BIG show of love for her, because she was afraid of heights. It took hours to convince her," Juliana did not realise her tears until Valentina wiped them off with her own fingers.

"I love you," she said lost in her eyes, "and if my life by your side depended on this leap, I would do it all as many times as necessary." She took advantage of the legend to compliment her girlfriend.

"I LOVE YOU LOLO!" Camila wasted no more time and jumped into the water.

"I swear, Valdés..." Lauren approached her furiously, "I am going to do everything. Do you hear me? Everything, so that you sleep in an armchair for the rest of your life! And from that day on you can start a new legend 'the woman who couldn't have sex with her girlfriend!'" She threatened.

"LOLO IT'S YOUR TURN!" The dancer shouted from below.

"If I were you Miss Lauren, I wouldn't want to make my girlfriend angry!" Juliana wouldn't make it to the party alive.

"LOLO!" She insisted again

"I HATE YOU VALDES!" Was the scream the Latina made in the run up to the jump.

"Hey kangaroo," the athlete approached a pensive and pale looking Kara, "You don't have to do it if you don't want to, I'll stay with you," she wanted to reassure her. "We can walk back down together," she didn't want Kara to feel pressured.

"But... but... what is Bella going to think?" So small and she already had girl problems.

"What's wrong with her?" Her mother asked curious.

"How is she going to know that my love for her is true?" She and Camila were probably the most touched by the legend.

"Are you in love with her?" Juliana never thought that someone could fall in love at that age.

"Is in love the same as being Mormonal?" She asked doubtingly as she watched as her uncle Derek took a run and jump, "I WANT A PLAYSTATION FIVE!" Was the man's cry.

"No darling," Valentina came to the aid of her girlfriend. "When you're in love, you want to spend all your time with that person..."

"Bella is unbearable sometimes," she clarified.

"And when you're in love you can't stop giving kisses to the other either," added Juliana, who followed Mariana's jump with her gaze, apparently shouting something like "FORGET IT!" in response to her partner's request.

"Sometimes I want to kiss Lucas too," the little mouse admitted.

"And when he's close to you, do you feel tickling all over your body," the older blonde touched her daughter's belly. "Do you feel it?" She asked.

The little girl thought and looked at her two mothers. "I don't think I'm in love," she concluded. "Is that bad?" She didn't need to know about the complications of love.

Sam that at this moment, preferred to jump rather than walk for two hours with his wife talking his ear off.

"No Pooh bear, it's not bad at all. Take advantage of it... You can kiss whoever you want, you can watch your videos quietly, you can enjoy your magazines, you sleep in your own bed..."

"Mami..." interrupted the little girl approaching Juliana, "I think you should stop talking, mommy is giving you the look!" Kara pointed to her mother who was indeed producing one of her most murderous looks, this one came with dynamite.

"But once you fall in love you will be the happiest woman in the world, right darling?" Valentina rolled her eyes while Shane yelled, "MY HUSBAND IS AN IDIOT!" before jumping.

"Be grateful that your daughter stopped you," she replied. "Anyway... It's my turn to jump, isn't it?" She looked very confident.

"You're not afraid?" Asked her girlfriend.

"Juliana please, the Carvajal are never afraid. It's not even that high."

"I'm not talking about the jump," Juliana stated.

"What are you talking about then?" She had no idea what her girlfriend's response would be.

"What is going to happen to you tonight." Juliana approached her girlfriend. "The beast is very hungry and is on the loose looking for her prey!" She was almost millimetres from her lips. "Be careful not to fall into her clutches," she dodged her mouth and left a small kiss on her cheek. "Good luck my love," now she was talking about the jump. Right?

Valentina processed each word spoken by her girlfriend, took a deep breath and started running towards the edge, "GOD HELP ME!!" She screamed, it was unknown whether she was referring to the jump or what would happen after the party.

"Shall we walk back down kangaroo?" She had to get there before her girlfriend and Lauren tore Florence apart.

"Next time we come, can I try again?" The sweetness of the little girl's voice melted the brunette.

"Whenever you want kangaroo, whenever you want," her mother assured her. The time spent with her daughter was worth it, even if she had to go up and down Everest a hundred times.

** Two hours later - In the house **

When Juliana stepped into the garden of her house with a sleeping little girl in her arms, she noticed a lot of strange people working in the garden, and she prayed that Valentina and Lauren weren't harassing the organiser, unfortunately her prayers were not answered.

"I ASKED... NO... DEMANDED THAT EVERYTHING BE WHITE!" Lauren was the first voice she could hear.

"Miss Jauregui, understand that it was a mistake of one of my associates, but the red tablecloths give a touch of mystery to the party." Miss Anderson was already perspiring.

"MYSTERY? Did I hear right or did you just call your mistake a mystery?" Valentina counterattacked to the rhythm of her friend.

"I apologise again but... Juliana! So nice to see you!" The organiser ran for refuge near the athlete.

"Hello Florence, how are you?" She greeted politely.

"Perfect!" The woman responded ironically, a gesture that was not unnoticed by the two friends.

"Valentina, Lauren, can I see you inside please?" She asked before they attacked the woman again. "Florence do your thing and if you need anything look for me, okay?" The woman nodded and before she left the friends heard a slight, "Thank God!"

Juliana put the little girl to bed before finding her girlfriend and friend in the living room. "Lolo... leave the rest of the party to me please," the brunette was going to try a different strategy with these two. "You rest and get ready for your big night. I assure you that you will be tired of having your ass kissed tonight!" Little by little the Latina's gesture was loosening.

"And the tablecloths?" She wasn't letting that one go.

"Don't worry, I will get white tablecloths. Everything is going to be fine, trust me. Also, you don't want to be seen with those dark circles," she knew where to attack.

"What? I need a mirror, a cucumber and cream urgently!" One down and one to go, the most difficult.

"Don't even think that I am going to leave you alone with that vulture!" The blonde warned her girlfriend.

"Baby," she approached her to hug her around the waist. "Do you remember the night when I had a lot of desire and made love to you over and over again without stopping and you couldn't refuse?" Simple question.

"I remember." How could she not. It was one of the first times Juliana ended up locked in the bathroom.

"Well today I am feeling that same urge... and I would dare say maybe worse... much worse!" If her confession failed to convince her, the bite to her lower lip managed to convey what was in store for her.

"I think I'll go rest for a while," Valentina needed to concentrate. "Don't get too close to the vulture!" She pointed out.

"Don't worry, I'm saving all my energy for you!" If smiles could speak, it would say 'get ready Carvajal!'


	41. 41. Inside you

"What are you going to wear?" Kara asked as she raised her arms for her mother to dress her.

"A white dress, just like you," Valentina replied, passing the white dress over her head.

"And what about Mommy Juls?" Ever since Valentina had woken her up for a bath, and to start preparing her for the party, the girl hadn't stopped asking questions.

"I don't know honey," she really didn't know what clothes her girlfriend had brought. In fact, she was almost certain that Juliana hadn't packed anything special for the event.

"Oh, because she doesn't like clothes very much." Valentina looked at her.

"Why do you say that?" She asked surprised.

"Well, because she's always asking you to take your clothes off. It must be because she doesn't like them," the girl had drawn her own conclusions.

"Something like that darling, something like that," the photographer was going to kill her girlfriend and her insatiable sexual thirst. "But let's hope she wears something white because otherwise your aunt Lauren will kill her!" If she made a scandal over a tablecloth, Valentina didn't want to imagine her strangling her girlfriend over her outfit. "These ones?" She showed her daughter a pair of white shoes with buckle and round toe, "Or these ones?" This time she had a pair of white sandals in the style of a ballerina shoe in her hand.

"If Aunt Lolo and Mommy and a fight... who do you think would win?" It was like deciding between Batman or Superman. The little girl pointed to the second pair.

"Why do you ask?" At this point, no question from her daughter surprised her.

"Well, Mommy Juls is very strong, right?" The blonde nodded. "But when she wants to, Aunt Lolo can make anyone cry, like she did with Miss Anderson." Although it wasn't exactly Lauren who made the woman cry. "Let's pretend mommy was the Hulk and Aunt Lolo was Ironman... who do you think would win?" Kara was already picturing it in her head.

"Hulk is the big green one, right?" After all the superhero movies that her daughter and girlfriend had made her watch, it was a bit difficult to remember which was which. But she had understood that one. "Is Ironman the one with the shield?" She wasn't sure about the other characters. "Honey, if you don't sit still, I can't comb your hair." Who would have guessed that she would be discussing superheroes while trying to brush her daughter's hair.

"MOM! That is Captain America!" The little girl sounded offended, "Ironman is the millionaire with super technology. He's red and yellow." Kara was clearly talking to the wrong mother.

"Well... in that case... I think it would be... a draw!" Valentina enjoyed seeing the scandalous face her daughter wore.

"MOM! There can be no tie!" An aberration.

"Of course! The green one and the one with the shield get together to have a coffee, to talk about their differences and become friends... Draw!" If Juliana found out about this, Valentina was going to have to endure hours listening to Juliana's thesis on superheroes.

"VALENTINA!" Lauren appeared in the room of the older Carvajal, dressed in a very tight, short sleeveless white dress, that highlighted her new tan. "CAN YOU TELL YOUR SEXY ASS GIRLFRIEND TO COME CHANGE? LOOK AT HER! LOOK AT HER!" The Latina approached the balcony followed by her friend. The brunette was climbing a ladder fixing one of the lanterns. "SHE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO IS NOT READY!" She complained again.

"Leave her alone Lolo, she just wants everything to be perfect for you." She assured her, "LOOK, WE HAVE ONE READY!" Mini Valentina was dressed in white and ready for the party.

"Look at you little mouse! You are very pretty!" Lauren was fawning over her niece, "BUT... THERE IS VERY LITTLE TIME BEFORE THE GUESTS START ARRIVING AND THE SWEETIE IS STILL NOT READY!" She was not going to let it go.

"Can I go see mom now?" Apparently the little girl suffered from any kind of distance from the athlete.

"Yes," the little girl tried to dart out of the room but her mother intercepted her, "Kara... I don't want a stain on that dress, can you please stay calm near your mother?"

"Don't worry mama," she gave her a kiss on the cheek and then whispered secretly, "I think Ironman is nervous!" She reasoned.

"Yes," her mother replied. "And she really wants to kick the green one's ass!" Valentina assured.

"Hulk mama. Hulk!" The little girl corrected as she left.

"TAKE CARE OF YOUR CLOTHES LITTLE MOUSE! AND TELL YOUR MOTHER TO COME UP AND GET CHANGED!" The Latina took advantage and sent her niece to get her mom.

As Valentina changed, Lauren took in the view of the garden from the balcony, "Admittedly, the vulture did a good job." If Juliana asked, she would never admit it though.

"It's her job!" The blonde did not want to compliment the woman.

"Did you notice how she looks at your girlfriend's butt?" Lauren had caught the organiser drooling over the athlete.

"She did it in front of me, twice!" She answered while looking at herself in the mirror.

"Valentinaaaa?" Called the Latina.

"Whaaaat?" She looked at the Latina in the mirror while putting on her earrings.

"Did you bring another dress for Kara?"

"What? Why? Don't tell me that..."

"Yes... that! Come look." The photographer approached the large window, "My mother brought that dress from Paris... OH MY GOD!!" Kara's dress was as black as her girlfriend's hands, "KARA, JULIANA, GET UP HERE NOW!"

Not two minutes had passed before mother and daughter were already standing outside the room.

"Get in here!" Valentina's angry voice caused shivers. Juliana and the little girl entered with their heads bowed, "Kara, what was the only thing I asked of you?" Valentina remained very calm.

"That I stay calm near my mother," she answered.

"And what else did I say?" She asked again.

"You didn't want any stains," she added.

"And did you do it?" The little girl shook her head in denial.

"I didn't dirty it," said the kangaroo.

"Go to your room and put on the other dress. WAIT A SECOND!" She was not going to escape that easy. "Tomorrow you are going to call your grandmother and tell her what happened to your new dress!"

"But mama..."

"But mama nothing!" She stopped her, "Now go and change and I don't want you near your mother until the party starts, do you understand?" It was obvious that if she left the two together, something would go wrong. The little girl left but not before directing a few words at her aunt who was smiling maliciously.

"Valentina I..." Juliana couldn't continue speaking, she couldn't even pay attention to the anger rolling off her girlfriend. The blonde had hypnotised her wearing a plain white one-shoulder dress.

"Do you think she's okay?" Lauren had approached the basketball player and was waving her hand in front of her eyes. "I think you've killed her with a stroke or something V," she laughed. "Can you imagine if she had seen you last year at Halloween when you wore that cat woman costume?" The whole neighbourhood remembered that costume.

Valentina could feel her girlfriend's breathing accelerate.

"Or even worse... Can you imagine if she had seen you in your cheerleader uniform?" The whole high school remembered her in that uniform.

The photographer thought she saw fangs in Juliana's mouth.

"And when you used...?"

"LAUREN! I think the first guests are arriving!" She needed to get the Latina out of her room immediately.

When the lawyer heard the guests, she quickly left the couple alone. Valentina approached her girlfriend cautiously. Unlike Kara, she hadn't brought another dress just in case, so she couldn't risk an attack from the brunette. "Juls... baby... calm down... I promise that after the party I'm all yours..."

The brunette shook her head, "Now," she murmured. "I want to make love to you now." She repeated.

"Love..." she approached and began to caress her face. Juliana closed her eyes at the contact. "Did you bring white clothes?" Valentina tried changing the subject. Her girl nodded. "Did you buy them on the trip?" The caresses continued and so did the affirmations. "Do you love me?" She asked suddenly, making the athlete open her eyes.

"Very much," she answered.

"Are you okay?" At least for the moment she seemed calm.

"I need a cold shower... very cold!" She said.

"I'll wait for you downstairs, okay? I need to keep an eye on Kara and help Lauren." It was an important night for her friend.

"Valentina... you are the most beautiful woman in the universe, even the angels envy you," Juliana made her girlfriend smile.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" She joked.

"That's my goal every day... to seduce you," Juliana said sincerely. "I love you." She approached and gave her a little kiss, she didn't want to touch her and stain her dress like she had accidentally done with Kara. "See you soon." She went to the bathroom leaving the blonde speechless.

** At the party - A while later **

"This party is a success," Sam was surprised by how many people there were.

"Hey Camz, does Lauren really know all these people? Are they going to be at your wedding too?" The group had removed themselves from the sea of people. Lauren and Valentina, who were the most recognised, were dedicated to socialising.

"I hope not!" Sighed the dancer. "I don't like these people at all, but Lolo says we have to put up with them because they are the ones who pay for our luxuries," she explained.

"Excuse me," a waiter approached the group. "Are one of you ladies the one who drinks Diet Coke?" He asked timidly, "I was told to ask you," said the young man.

"Where is Juliana?" Said Mariana, she was the only person who would be drinking Diet Coke at a party like this.

"She must be ready by now," Derek's feet moved with the music, "Don't worry, when she's thirsty, she'll look for you," he said to the waiter and then grabbed his wife's hand, "LET'S DANCE!" The Evans and the Grays took to the dance floor leaving Camila with her niece.

"What are two such beautiful young ladies doing alone on such a beautiful night?" Juliana appeared surprising the two.

"This is for the most beautiful little girl at the party," she gave her daughter a rose accompanied by a kiss on the cheek. "And this is for the most beautiful dancer of the night," another rose for Camila and a kiss on the cheek for her too.

"Wow! Juls... You look very sexy!" Camila complimented the brunette.

"You like? Nikki chose it." Juliana did a little spin. "She said it was the least I could do to walk in Valentina's shadow," her teammate had a platonic love with her girlfriend. "I don't think I can even manage that," she laughed. "We are like Beauty and the Beast!" Her comment made the Disney fans laugh.

"What would I be?" Asked the little girl.

"You would be the little cup, Chip," the athlete stated holding her daughter's hand.

"And me?" Camila also wanted to participate.

"You are Fifi, The feather duster!" Continuing with the theme of the French maid.

"Too bad my Lumiere doesn't pay any attention to me," said the dancer suddenly with a sad voice.

"But in the meantime," Juliana knew what was going through the dancer's head, "here is a Beast at your disposal," she bowed, "I never dance but for you two, I will make an exception!" She grabbed Camila's hand and took the two of them to dance.

** Somewhere in the party **

"Victoria," Lauren and Valentina had made their way over to greet the more important people from the firm. "This is Valentina Carvajal one of our wonderful clients," the Latina introduced her friend to one of the partners of the law firm, and therefore her boss.

"Nice to meet you dear," greeted the woman.

"The pleasure is mine," Valentina replied.

"Do you already have your eye on someone?" Lauren asked. The woman's taste for young meat was already known throughout the firm.

"In fact, right now I have my sights set on something very interesting," the predatory woman replied. "And you could do me the favour of telling me who she is," she gestured with her head pointing to someone who was dancing very entertainingly with a little girl and a shorter woman.

"Juliana," now it was Valentina's turn to drool. Her girlfriend was wearing very tight white trousers with a white shirt tucked into them. As if this were not drool worthy enough, the daring brunette had added a thin black tie around her neck and accompanied her outfit with braces. Her loose glossy hair fell in waves around her shoulders and bounced as she danced.

"Her name is Juliana?" Asked the woman interrupting Valentina's examination of her girlfriend.

"Yes, but Victoria," she had to be looking at the sweetie, right. "Juliana is Valentina's girlfriend," Lauren explained.

The woman looked at the blonde as if she were a snake ready to attack, "How much?" She asked her.

"Sorry?" The photographer did not understand, what she meant, was she offering her money for Juliana?

"Easy my dear," she must have seen the uneasy face of the photographer. "I'm joking!" Although she didn't sound convincing. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to say hello to some friends," the snake retreated.

"Did you see how she looked at you? At one point I thought she was going to open her mouth and swallow you whole!" Lauren also drew the comparison to the reptile. "Valentina... Valentina?" The blonde was no longer by her side.

** Back to the group of friends **

"Mommy, what did you do?" Asked Kara.

"Did I step on you? Sorry, little kangaroo if I..."

"No, no... What did you do to mom?" She reworded her question.

"Valentina? Nothing... let me think," the brunette thought for a second then shook her head, "No, I can't think of anything." She concluded.

"Well, you must have done something to make her come over like that," the girl pointed to the other end of the party.

She was right, Valentina was moving like a freight train without brakes, "Did I stain you?" The girl checked herself and denied it, "Am I dirty?" The little girl looked at her and denied again. "Kara, what did I do? Tell me, did she write something on the couch list? Quick please!" She had almost no time left.

"Good luck mommy!" Wished her daughter before the collision.

"Val..." Apparently the only collision was that of their mouths. The surroundings ceased to exist, the music stopped playing, the five senses of both were focused entirely on their kiss.

"D... Di... Did," a stutter left her, "Did I do something?" She tried to ask.

"You did more than you think," she said, grabbing the small tie and pulling it. "You drive me crazy, brunette; do you hear me? Crazy!" An intense kiss proved it.

"Be careful with the arrow," she said breaking the kiss.

"What arrow?" Valentina looked everywhere.

"The one you have in your hands," the blonde looked at the basketball player's tie.

"Love, this is a tie," she explained slowly.

"I know smart ass... but what shape is the tie?"

The photographer looked at the garment for a second, "An arrow?" She answered doubtful.

"Exactly!" She won a kiss. "And do you know what this arrow indicates?" She asked trying to be mysterious.

"I don't know," she replied without trying to think of an answer.

"This arrow," she grabbed her tie, "indicates the direction in which you have to kiss me," she said. "You start here," she touched her mouth, "and then..." she approached her girlfriend's ear to confess the secret, "you have to... follow... the arrow." She concluded leaving her girlfriend looking where the tie led her. "I think Lauren is calling you baby," was the last thing the athlete said before going in search of the waiter with the Diet Coke.

~~~~~~

The end of the night was approaching and like any party, people were getting more drunk as the hours passed, therefore they were more boisterous. And Juliana was not liking the fact that her girlfriend was surrounded by slimy guys looking at her as if they had the right to do so.

Two things prevented the athlete from getting up from her chair and going to punch the men who harassed, not only Valentina, but also all her friends. One was that she did not want to ruin the party for the Latina and the other was that Kara had been asleep in her arms for half an hour. "You don't have to be a party girl kangaroo," was the last thing she managed to say to her before the little girl allowed herself to be overcome by sleep.

Juliana could not help but be amazed by the ability that her daughter possessed to fall asleep in any situation, whether it be in a car, being carried down a hill or, even, when a speaker was blaring only a few meters from them. The athlete got up with her daughter in her arms and walked into the house. It was time for the little Carvajal to go to bed, but for the other... Juliana had to add something to her outfit so Valentina wouldn't even think about falling asleep.

"Camz have you seen Juls?" The photographer had not lost track of her girlfriend at any time. She watched her dance with her friends, she watched her dance with her daughter, she hated looking at her when she was taking pictures with some Liberty fans at the party, and she hated even more watching her girlfriend attract female audiences. But when she turned her head to the chair where the brunette had recently been sitting with her daughter, they had disappeared.

"She went to put Kara to bed," Camila said while moving to the music.

If she didn't show up in five minutes, she would go look for her. To let the time pass she went straight to the bar, "A glass of..." Valentina not only felt someone on her back, but that someone was quite excited by what the blonde could perceive. Before turning around to get rid of whoever it was, a familiar voice interrupted her.

"A glass of white wine for the lady and a Diet Coke for me please," Valentina immediately recognised her girlfriend's voice and relaxed. "Were you looking for me?" Juliana hugged her by the waist and pressed herself even harder against her girlfriend's back.

"Ummm..." she cleared her throat, "Juls... are you... are you wearing...?" Valentina blushed just thinking about it.

The brunette moved away with a smile to grab the drinks, leaving the blonde intrigued. "Here you go," she handed her the glass. "Do you want..."

"VALENTINA! Where the HELL have you been?" Lauren appeared, "Come on, I want to introduce you to someone. And you!" She pointed to the brunette, "Be careful with the predators!" She said before dragging Valentina away with her.

"Steven," the Latina pulled Valentina towards a tall man who smiled as they approached. "This is the woman I was telling you about, the most sought-after photographer in the city. She works with Victoria's Secret, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Cho, among other recognised brands. I think she is perfect for the job you were talking about. Valentina this..." She looked at her friend and realised that she wasn't paying attention. "Valentina! Valentina!" With a nudge she caught her attention, "This is Steven Far, CEO of Armani," she finished her introduction.

"Mr. Far, it is a pleasure to meet you. I'm sure whatever work demands you have in mind would be better discussed another day, please enjoy the party." Valentina greeted him and walked away with the Latina stepping on her heels.

Lauren grabbed her arm to stop her, "What the fuck are you doing?" She asked angrily.

"Lauren, nobody wants to talk about work at a party. Calm down and enjoy it, will you?" Valentina spoke without taking her eyes off her girlfriend who at this moment was sitting with her legs apart talking with Camila. "Lolo..."

"What do you want Carvajal?" She asked resigned.

"Do you notice something strange about Juliana?" The blonde needed confirmation.

The lawyer focused on the athlete, "Aside from the fact that everyone wants to eat her whole... but that's not strange... why? I think you better stop drinking V!" Lauren took her glass of wine.

"Look at her closely... Don't you see something EXTRA about her?" highlighted the blonde.

"What the hell are you talking about?" The Latina turned to focus on Juliana. "I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Lauren had plenty of experience with sex toys. "Don't tell me she's wearing a strap with a...?" The blonde nodded. The two stared at the brunette with their mouths open. "I need to touch her!" She did not wait for her friend stop her, like a bullet, she went straight for the group.

"Lauren! Lauren!" Valentina finally caught her, "You will not touch anything, do you hear me? Nothing!" She said before her friend was attacked by the dancer.

"Lolo! Did you finish playing with your office friends? Can we dance now?" She didn't wait for an answer and was already wrapping her arms around her fiancée's neck.

"Yes, honey, yes," but Lauren had her gaze fixed on Juliana's crotch.

"Lern..."

"Hmmm?"

"It seems like Valen is going to have a great time tonight," of course her fiancée had noticed.

"Is it confirmed then?" Asked the Latina.

"Oh yes... and I think it's bigger than ours!" Lauren looked at Valentina with a merciless smile.

The blonde turned to where her girlfriend was sitting and found two beautiful eyes staring back at her, she started to walk towards her.

"I must admit," Juliana said, grabbing her girlfriend's hand and pulling her so she would fall onto her lap, but was still facing her friends as they danced, "I'm never going to get tired looking at you." Confessed the brunette. "Why are you so red?" Although she already knew the answer, she wanted to hear it from her girl.

"Because of the things you say to me." She lied a little.

"Is that why? No other reason?" Juliana arranged her legs so that Valentina was even more in contact with her crotch.

The photographer did not answer but the red of her face began to deepen. Valentina's underwear had already been bothering her for a while, this wasn't helping.

Juliana continued to play with her girlfriend, she approached her ear and began to murmur, "You feel it right?" She asked. "You felt it as soon as I appeared behind you at the bar," this was more of a statement. "And you also feel it now," the brunette was subtly tightening her fake member against her girlfriend. "And I would bet this house, that right now," one of the brunette's hands was running over one of the blonde's thighs, "that the tiny little garment you have on under this beautiful dress would reveal how much you want me inside you." The kiss she left on her neck at the end of this sentence made Valentina tremble. "All night I have had to endure hundreds of guys hitting on you..."

"Juls you..." 

"Shhhhh," she spoke close to the blonde's ear, the Carvajal empire was falling little by little. "Just listen to me," she said sweetly. "I put up with them because I can't blame them for looking at you, because just with the way you walk, the earth trembles at your feet." The athlete's hand caressed the inside of her leg, just above the knee.

"GOD Valentina," Juliana made a slight movement that managed to extract a groan from the blonde. "You have no idea what you're doing to me. I have spent hours following you around, drawing your body with my gaze, imagining what's under that dress," she paused to listen to her girlfriend's heavy breathing. "I have reviewed over and over in my mind, the places where I want to kiss you. I have gone over all the things I want to do to you. But I have spent the last ten minutes trying to estimate the number of times you will surrender to my hands," - she gently squeezed her leg, "my mouth," she gave her a soft kiss on the neck, "or here." She pressed her centre more firmly against the blonde.

"Miss Valdés," A guest interrupted the brunette's monologue. "Would you mind signing an autograph for me?" He asked showing her a pen, "It's for my daughter, she's a big fan of yours," he said.

Juliana had to clench her jaw and take a steading breath or she would have sent the man to hell. Valentina stood up to leave space for the brunette to attend to her fan. "Of course, I'd love to," she took the pen and signed the piece of paper for one of Lauren's lawyer friends.

When she finally managed to shake them off, she wanted to go straight back to her original task but she realised the blonde had disappeared.

"This is for you," a waiter approached her with a note. Wasting no time, she opened it and read, _'I hope the beast is still hungry. The bait is waiting.'_ Seconds later she was striding into the house.

"I have a feeling that none of us are sleeping tonight," concluded the friends who watched the brunette quickly pass by.

"I have a feeling that Valentina isn't going to get any rest!" Lauren added.

~~~~~~

When the athlete opened the door, she found what she was expecting, her girlfriend was leaning against the opposite wall, waiting for her. She hadn't undressed, Valentina knew very well that Juliana liked to do that herself. She approached step by step until she was inches from her, she looked deep into Valentina's blue eyes, conveying the love she felt for her, along with a warning of what was to come.

When she couldn't take it anymore, she grabbed Valentina's face with both hands and kissed her. The blonde didn't move, she tried to concentrate on the softness and aggressiveness of Juliana's lips, which moved slowly, caressing her. Valentina couldn't hold back any longer, she put her hands on the brunette's neck and pulled her closer to deepen the kiss and explore her girlfriend's mouth with her tongue, an exploration that Juliana finished when she pushed her tongue into Valentina's mouth. Valentina greedily sucked on it, rewarding the athlete with a beautiful moan.

"You know you drive me crazy when you do that right?" Valentina knew it, in fact she loved to drive her girlfriend crazy with her moans. "How much do you like this dress?" The athlete asked.

"A lot," was the reply.

"Pity!" The brunette managed to tear the entire garment open in just one pull, "It was getting in the way," she explained as her hands moved straight to Valentina's breasts. "You have the most beautiful breasts I've ever seen." She needed to let the blonde know that she was perfect.

"I want this off, now!" The impatient photographer began to undress the basketball player. Which was very difficult for her when the woman's mouth was wrapped around her nipple. "GOD JULIANA!" When she was finally able to take off her shirt. The tie was still around her neck.

Juliana grabbed Valentina by the waist and lifted her, pinning her against the wall with her pelvis. The blonde felt the toy again, squeezing against what was now pure moisture. A moment later, she was lying on the bed with Juliana on top of her. "I want you now," she ordered, trying to lower her girlfriend's pants.

But the athlete took her time, she hooked Valentina's underwear and began to slowly slide it down her long legs. The blonde swore that she would kill her girlfriend if she didn't do something now. "This is going to be as I want," she clarified. "So, calm down my love, good things come to those who wait," she finished undressing her. "Spread your legs for me baby," she asked while taking off her clothes.

Which of the two had it worse, Valentina with the image of her girlfriend wearing the strap on, or Juliana for having Valentina lying on the bed at her mercy. When the blonde felt the athlete approaching her, she began to tremble, it was an excited tremor, the ones you feel when you know something good is about to happen.

"I will go slowly with you at first," she said very close to her mouth, the blonde could feel Juliana's hands hovering very close to her centre. "But then you won't get to rest... I want you prepared, and this is your warning."

Valentina could feel the new toy enter her slowly, she grabbed onto the muscular arms of her girlfriend and sought the brunette's eyes immediately. Juliana moved slowly, "I love you," she told her before kissing her. When she knew she was completely inside the blonde, she looked at her for approval.

Valentina left one hand on her girlfriend's arm and with the other she cradled her girlfriend's face, gently running her thumb over her lower lip, "I'm yours, I will always be yours, do whatever you want with me." She whispered and surrendered to her girl.

~~~~~~

Her fourth orgasm was building, she knew it. She could feel Juliana moving in a frantic rhythm pounding into her over and over again. Valentina had to bite her fist to keep from crying out, and unintentionally entwined her fingers in her girl's hair, pulling it a little harder than she meant to, she knew she was reaching the maximum pleasure. She could hear how Juliana moaned and at the same time took her fist away from her mouth. "I want to hear you, I want to know if you like what I'm doing inside you."

"Yes," was the only thing she could barely stammer.

"I want you to talk to me Valentina," she ordered.

"Come out and go back in," she asked.

Juliana obeyed and they both moved together.

"You turn me on when you move like that," she confessed, "keep doing it, don't stop," the brunette ordered again. It seemed that every word she spoke was deliberate, bringing her closer to orgasm, making it more intense and drawing it out. By now Valentina had already forgotten the number of people inside the house and was moaning and screaming with complete abandon.

"Ask me for more. It drives me crazy when you do it," Juliana begged her.

"Please baby... please more." Valentina obeyed and the blonde didn't know how but the athlete somehow got deeper inside her.

"I love you; I love making love to you, I love your faces, I love your moans, I love wanting you and knowing that you want me. Tell me that you love me, please?" She begged again, moving with more force over the blonde.

The last thing Valentina heard was her own voice saying, "I love you." Then everything went starry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😳🥵😳🥵😳🥵😳🥵😳🥵😳🥵😳
> 
> Sorry it took so long for this chapter. Hopefully it won't be as long a wait for the next one.


	42. 42. As many times as you want

In the middle of the night, Valentina woke with her girlfriend on top of her. The brunette was leaving kisses on her neck and clavicle as her expert fingers were moving inside her. She tried to complain, fighting both sleep and excitement.

The brunette had tried to convince herself to leave her alone, she knew that her girlfriend needed to rest. She had demanded too much of her. But she couldn't stop herself, she kept going. It wasn't about her but about the passion she felt for the blonde, that sensation, that desire that manipulated her like a puppet, as if she were dying of hunger or thirst, and her girlfriend was the only thing she ever wanted, the only thing that could quench her thirst. The problem was, she was never quite satisfied.

When Valentina woke, she almost immediately passed out again. The photographer knew her girlfriend was insatiable, she knew from the first time they made love. Juliana knew her by heart, her weak points, her favourite positions, the brunette knew how to melt her, she knew how to make her vulnerable, how to touch her, how to turn her on. And to top it all, the environment made it even more exciting, the room was totally dark, only a sheet covered them, the scent of their bodies, the agitated breathing of her brunette, her own moans, everything excited her. Valentina's skin crawled when she heard Juliana whisper to her.

"Why do you have to drive me so crazy? Why? I can't sleep when I have you naked by my side." The athlete had not stopped looking at her girlfriend all night. She tried to control herself, she tried to settle for just looking at her, but it only took one movement of the sleeping blonde for the sheet to slide off her body, exposing one of her breasts and Juliana lost control.

"You're not going to let me sleep, are you?" She managed to ask between moans.

"You can bet on it," she sentenced.

Juliana took advantage of her girlfriend's weakness and moved her with total dexterity, forcing her to lay on her side, her back being supported by the brunette's small breasts. Juliana used her knee to lift the blonde's leg, who was surprised again when Juliana skilfully slipped her fingers back into her, it was an accurate and fast push, which to be honest Valentina never believed she would achieve in that position. Valentina brought her arm back to hold on to the back of Juliana's neck.

"Promise me," moaned Valentina, "that it will always be like this between you and me. That you will always love me like this, that I will always be the only woman you make love to."

"I promise you," she assured, "I promise because I love you. I know I will never love anyone else, because you were, are and will be the only woman I have ever fallen in love with." She said while continuing to touch her girlfriend.

With this promise and with the fatigue of her latest orgasm, Valentina fell asleep just before dawn.

** Same day - Much later **

When Valentina woke up the first thing she saw was the huge bouquet of red roses that adorned the room, accompanied by a small note,

' _A rose for every time you let me do mine._  
_I love you.'_

 _"_ Twelve," said the blonde. And Juliana had not miscounted, there were twelve beautiful roses. There had been twelve moments the night before when Valentina thought she would die of pleasure, although the blonde returned the favours to her girlfriend, she did not understand how the brunette continued after every orgasm.

In the end she just had to accept it and let her girl do, as she said in the note, hers. After all, what Juliana aroused in her, was stronger than her own will. Valentina smiled at the memories of the night before and if she hadn't still been suffering the effects of the 'beast,' she would swear she was getting turned on, just by thinking about her girlfriend.

She decided to distract herself by reading the next part of the note _,_

_'I would like to be here when you get up, but there is another Carvajal demanding attention. PS: I left a pill on the table that will help you with the discomfort, Forgive me._  
_I LOVE YOU.'_

Indeed the painkiller along with a glass of water were on the table. The photographer never thought that someone would melt her with just one gesture. Juliana was definitely a dream come true.

"GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!" When she got to the living room she received five different sets of looks. Shane looked at her as if to say, 'I can't believe you're still alive." Sam's said something like, 'It would be a good day if I could have slept without listening to your screams all night.' Derek was not looking at Valentina but rather at his wife with a reproachful look that said, 'I told you choosing the room near Juliana and Valentina was worse than Lauren and Camila!' Mrs Gray responded by looking at him as if saying, 'We already know for next time!' And finally there was the look of the dancer, it was difficult to decipher, it was a mixture of joy, with... sadness? A sad Camila? That was something that no one in the group was used to, it was as if her friend's look said, 'I'm happy for you, but something not so great is going on with me.'

When Valentina was about to ask, the answer came from the only missing person, Lauren. The Latina was lying face down on the couch and was still wearing her party clothes.

"She's been laying there all night," Lauren's future wife clarified.

"We had to leave her there because we couldn't move her. She was so drunk, she passed out." Derek had been in charge of getting her that far.

"Hopefully she didn't have to listen to what we suffered through," Mariana continued lamenting. "And by the way it is not a good morning, but rather GOOD AFTERNOON, it is four in the afternoon. God!" Added the same woman.

"Yeah, I heard them," a quiet and hoarse voice sounded from the couch. "What's more," she got up from the couch as best as she could, "if Lucia calls from Miami, it'll probably be to complain, because she will have heard you too!" She said and then added, "OH MY GOD, KILL ME, KILL ME NOW!" Too much alcohol was taking it's toll on Lauren.

The truth was, the photographer did not feel an ounce of shame, no matter what her friends had to say about it, it was totally worth it, she would do it again. When she tried to walk again her legs felt weak, well maybe she wouldn't do it again right now.

"You're even walking weird!" Shane told her and Valentina just smiled at her. Her gaze returned to Camila, the dancer was looking at Lauren with a very angry expression now, and the Latina was avoiding her fiancée's gaze. Something was definitely going on between these two was the first thing that came to her mind. And the second thing was the whereabouts of her daughter and girlfriend, she hadn't seen them around the house. "Juliana and Kara?" She asked the air.

"They went up the hill again," Mariana answered. "In fact Juliana had just came back from her run as Kara got up," she clarified.

"Luckily," Sam entered the conversation, "because no one wants to see the kangaroo's face if she doesn't have breakfast with her mother..."

"Don't call her that," Valentina jumped in for her daughter. The man rolled his eyes and the photographer was lost calculating how long it would be until she saw her two favourite people again.

"How can the sweetie still go for a run? I can barely move and I didn't even have sex!" Lauren wondered aloud.

"When we saw her leave the party to look for you last night, we thought we wouldn't see you alive again!" Shane was interested in having this conversation.

"What can I tell you... Juliana knows what she's doing!" Her face provoked several reactions.

"My God, close your mouth Carvajal, your smile dazzles me and makes my head hurt!" Protested the lawyer.

"I am envious," this was Mariana. "If my husband had not been so busy looking at the breasts of the other women at the party maybe I would have let him touch mine!" Apparently it had not been a good night for the rest.

"Well, I think Sam and I are going to head to the games room," both men decided to leave to avoid more reproaches from their girlfriends and were currently backing away from the others.

"Again?" One of the women protested, they weren't going to get away so easily.

"Yesterday and the day before you spent the whole afternoon in there!" The singer continued her protest.

"Have you seen the size of that television?" Sam pointed towards the games room. "The zombies are practically life-size!" He explained accompanied by hand gestures.

"We only have today and tomorrow and then, goodbye television," Derek joined the pleading of his friend.

Shane and Mariana looked at each other, when they turned and were about to lay into their husbands again, they noticed they had already fled. "Ugh, I'm going out to lay in the sun," announced the singer.

"Me too," Mariana followed her. Apparently there was a lot to talk about today.

"Can you explain what's going on with you two?" The blonde took advantage of the fact that she was left alone with her friends to ask.

"Ask your friend why the hell she's not talking to me," snapped the Latina, throwing herself back on the couch.

"Camz..."

"I don't want to talk about her," the dancer hastened to say.

"But..." Valentina hated seeing them like this.

"But nothing Carvajal, can't you keep your mouth shut?" It wasn't a good idea, if an angry Lauren was Ironman, Valentina was the whole fucking justice league together.

"You don't tell me to shut up, you idiot, can't you see I'm just trying to help?" Valentina counter attacked.

"And who the hell asked you to do that?" The Latina was not far behind.

"Don't talk to Valentina like that!" Camila got in.

"I will speak to her however I want!" Two against one was not fair, the lawyer thought, "And now you want to talk to me? After ignoring me since you woke up!" The Latina had tried.

"Why? Do you want to talk to me now? After I spent last night chasing you around?" It seemed silly, but the dancer was not going to let her fiancée treat her like she was stupid.

"ENOUGH!" Juliana to the rescue. The brunette appeared with her sleeping daughter in her arms. The kangaroo had once again succumbed to the hike up the hill. A huge smile appeared on Valentina's face again. "I'm going to take my daughter up to her room and by the time I get back I want the three of you seated. Don't talk to each other, don't even look at each other, don't do anything until I come back! Okay?"

None of them dared to contradict her. As soon as the brunette climbed the stairs, each one looked for a place to sit. The atmosphere of the room was similar to that of the Real Madrid dressing room after they lost against Barcelona, a single comment was enough for someone to end up throwing something heavy at the other's head.

Juliana reappeared with a glass of water in her hand, she went straight to Lauren, "Take this," she opened the palm of her hand showing a pill. "Believe me, if it weren't for this pill, my parents' parties would not have been repeated," In fact, if it had been up to the brunette's father, he would have built a monument for that painkiller.

The Latina grabbed the athlete's offer and drank the glass of water in one gulp, "Okay," Juliana looked for the dancer and found her quite far away from her fiancée. "Camz, can you please come sit on the couch with Lauren?" At first the dancer resisted, but was convinced by the friendly tone of the basketball player, she walked to the furniture and sat on the other end of the couch from her girlfriend.

The brunette turned looking for the love of her life, she only had to let herself be carried away by the perfume of the woman who day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute and finally second by second made her fall more and more in love. Valentina was sitting in one of the chairs, watching her movements attentively.

The blonde could not hold Juliana's gaze, she felt like her girlfriend's beautiful brown eyes could read her thoughts, which would not be good at this moment, Valentina knew her body would not be able to withstand the onslaught of the athlete, at least right now. Juliana walked over her and squatted in front of her, looking for her girl's eyes. "Love of my life, please look at me," she begged, achieving her goal.

"Hey," the photographer greeted shyly. There was something about Juliana that made her feel nervous as if it were the first time she had been so close.

"Good afternoon my queen. You good?" Juliana's question had several meanings, and Valentina knew which one her girlfriend was referring to. The brunette's hand caressed one of the marks that she herself had placed near Valentina's clavicle the night before.

"I'm perfect," she assured her, almost with a whisper that only the brunette could hear.

"Forgive me, I am a brute," she said while caressing her.

"Baby..." The Big Bang seemed to repeat itself every time blue and brown eyes met. "Love... I will never allow you to apologise for making me the happiest woman in this universe. On the contrary!" Valentina caressed her girl's face, tenderly admiring how Juliana closed her eyes and gave herself to the gesture. "I am the one who should be thanking you for teaching me what pleasure really is," she admitted.

"Mhmhm," a throat clearing could be heard from the couch. And Juliana understood that this was no time to get lost in the sea of caresses offered by the photographer. She grabbed her girlfriend's hand and guided her to the little couch in front of the other couple. Juliana sat pulling her girlfriend so the blonde would fall on to her lap. She needed to touch her.

"Something is going on between you two," Juliana said, surprising the other three women, "and since apparently neither of you are encouraged to confront each other, Valentina and I are going to mediate the matter," she informed them by leaving a kiss on her blonde's arm.

"We don't need your help!" Lauren wouldn't let her guard down.

Juliana couldn't stop her mind from finding this situation very similar to a time when she herself had to intercede for her parents, who like these two, wouldn't even look at each other. The situation had been exactly like Lauren and Camila's, after one of their many parties they had both been angry because apparently, according to Macario, her mother had been 'flirting' with one of his guests and he had not liked that at all. Their daughter made them go over the situation and within seconds they were already reconciling and, well, they went to their room to do what normal couples do to make up.

Now sitting on the same couch were her friends. A couple that the sportswoman could not see apart, seeing Camila and Lauren distanced was like imagining Thelma wanting to run away and Louise opposing her, or if Bonnie was a thief and Clyde a policeman or worse, it was like imagining a cheeseburger with no fries accompanying it. It just wasn't right. Something was wrong and Juliana couldn't allow that.

"Camz," the brunette didn't listen to the Latina's complaints and attacked on the other front, "have you told Lauren what bothers you about these parties?" The seriousness of the brunette faltered when her girlfriend began to leave soft tickles on her skin. Valentina could ignore her girl's skin.

"Of course she told me," Lauren filled the silence. "I know she doesn't like the people in my office, and she knows perfectly well that I just put up with them for the money they make me." The lawyer didn't look at her girlfriend, but she addressed the other couple as if they were in a damn therapy session, but this therapist was a weak woman who was currently being tempted by another woman's caresses while she sat on top of her.

"Is that just what bothers you, Camz?" The athlete played her role as a therapist perfectly, but Valentina left much to be desired.

"Are you looking for us to fight Valdés? Because instead I am just going to kick your ass!" She answered again for her girlfriend.

"No Lolo... listen!" Juliana got up, moving her girlfriend gently to her side. To calm the blonde's whining she gave her a short kiss before moving closer to the other couple. She chose to sit on the table in front of the huge couch. "When Valentina was mingling with all those people last night, smiling, talking business, or whatever, do you know how I felt?" Perhaps recounting her own experience would help her friends, "I felt this small," she lifted right hand, showing a small space between her finger and thumb. "I felt like I wasn't enough for her. And I wondered, how a person like me, someone who barely finished high school, could be with someone like Valentina, who catches the attention of hundreds of people."

"How can someone like me, who only knows how to bounce a ball and even struggles to control my strength when I touch her, fall in love with someone as delicate and sweet a woman like Valentina?" Juliana felt Valentina sit behind her, placing a leg on either side of her as she rested her hands around the athlete's shoulders. Juliana took advantage of the proximity to leave a kiss on each of her girlfriends hands. "There are times when unintentionally, and without meaning to, situations can make you feel like this..."

"Do you feel that way?" The Latina this time addressed her girlfriend directly.

The dancer nodded and looked at Lauren, "I feel like I'm the last thing on your mind, as if you don't care," she confessed, "and I know that you do, but I can't help it." Just like she couldn't stop her tears from falling.

"Camz, I..." Lauren hadn't understood that she had been the cause of her girlfriend's sadness. "I'm sorry, forgive me," she finally said, approaching the dancer to hug her. "You and I are getting married. I love you and I'm not going to let you feel this way again. I promise," she assured her fiancée, and kissed her timidly.

The dancer once again bumped her lips into Lauren's, "I forgive you Lolo, and I love you very much," her happiness was back. "YAYYYY!" Camila was returning to her normal state while hugging the other two. "Are we going to the pool to terrorise Shane and Mariana with our little games?" It was one of the favourite pastimes of the two, to see the disgusted faces they could generate on their friends faces while having sexy moments in the pool.

The Latina nodded and stood to leave, not without first looking at the brunette and mouthing a grateful thanks, which Juliana accepted with a wink. The brunette shuddered when she felt her girlfriend's mouth on her neck, the blonde's arms were no longer on her shoulders, one held firmly from her waist while the other drew patterns on her abs. "Love... you know what will happen if you keep playing with me like that, I won't be able to control myself," she warned.

"Why didn't you tell me?" The blonde asked her, taking her hands away from her addiction. "Why didn't you tell me you felt that way at the party?" She completed the question.

"Because it was stupid," she replied, "and on the other hand because seeing you worried like this would drive me crazy, like everything you do, I get lost in you. Besides, all the insecurities went away when you looked at me. Your eyes soothe me," she confessed, tipping her head back to rest it on one of the blonde's shoulders.

"I love you," said Valentina.

"How much?" Juliana asked smiling, she was always the one who had to play this game, now it was Valentina's turn.

"More than Bugs Bunny to carrots," she told her, "DON'T LAUGH! She started nipping the brunette's ribs tickling her.

Juliana grabbed her hands to slow her down and stopped her laughter, "Love..." Juliana spoke and took refuge in her neck.

Valentina knew that tone of voice, knew that posture. Her girlfriend needed protection, she needed comfort and affection, she was afraid... But of what? The photographer looked outside looking for clowns but did not see anything. "Tell me honey," she encouraged her.

"I think... I think I'm ready," she said hesitating. And as if she could feel her girlfriend's question, she spoke again, "I want to enter my parents' room," this time she said it without hesitation.

"Now?" The brunette nodded in agreement. "Do you want me to go with you?" She received another affirmation.

~~~~~~

"Shall I open it?" The blonde was taking each step carefully, she didn't want her girlfriend to feel pressured.

But Juliana had lost her speech. She only limited herself to nodding her head up and down as her hand clung tighter to her girlfriend.

When Valentina opened the door, the first thing she thought was that this was the most beautiful room in the house. The decoration was minimalist, the bed was huge and suddenly the magnitude of that piece of furniture made her picture her future, imagining their 'Sunday tradition', that her daughter had invented, which basically consisted of the three of them having breakfast in their bed. Well, Valentina imagined thousands of similar Sundays in that huge bed, but not just with the three of them though, she pictured several more girls or boys joining them.

Another thing she loved about the room was the view. She immediately fell in love with the balcony that overlooked the lake and could not help imagining spending entire nights in that room making love to Juliana. "Juliana?" The absence of her girlfriend's hand in hers brought her out of her thoughts. She found her in front of the mirror holding a white dress in her hands.

"It is her wedding dress," she said. "They brought it here because my mother said that the pollution of the city was going to ruin it," Juliana spoke between a laugh and grimace of sadness.

"It's beautiful." And Valentina was not lying, it was one of the most beautiful wedding dresses she had ever seen, and thanks to her friends' wedding she had seen hundreds.

"Obviously I did not see her wear it, but my father said that when he saw her walk towards him in this dress, he felt so jealous of having to share the moment with other people that he wanted to kidnap her and take her away to enjoy her alone." Apparently Macario was a possessive man, Juliana had without a doubt inherited that trait.

"Tell me more," asked the photographer. She adored the brunette's stories.

The athlete inspected the place, "Come here," she grabbed Valentina's hand and took her into the ensuite, Valentina was even more amazed when she saw the size of the bathroom. "What you see here," Juliana pointed to several lines marked on one of the walls. "They are my height measurements," she said, "they stopped doing it when they noticed I was sad because they weren't as spaced out anymore." Valentina couldn't contain her laughter.

Now the brunette moved her girlfriend to the balcony, the blonde held onto the railing while Juliana wrapped her arms around her from behind. "Was that your mother's favourite tree?" Valentina vaguely remembered what Mrs Wilson had told her.

"Yeah," Juliana confirmed, "when I woke up and came to look for them, there were times when I couldn't find them and their bed was still perfectly made," she said. "I would come out on to this balcony and look towards that same tree and I find them asleep, cuddling under a blanket, I knew they had spent the night there," she ended the anecdote.

"Did you go out to look for them?" Valentina asked curious.

"Nope, it always seemed like a very intimate moment, I never liked to interrupt them," she explained leaving a kiss on her cheek.

They stayed a moment contemplating the beauty of the landscape in front of them, "I can feel it," the brunette said.

Valentina knew what she was talking about but still asked, "What?" She spun around to be caught between the balcony railing and her girlfriend's body.

"I can feel how much you love this room." Just by looking into her eyes she had realised. "Do you want it for us?" She would never deny her anything.

"Would it bother you?" Valentina asked fearfully. She didn't want to force her into anything.

"If I can get up next to you every day for the rest of my life, I don't care where I do it," she said, then slowly kissed her chin, then a little more under her mouth before finally reaching her lips. This was definitely going to be their room.

"Hey," Valentina broke the kiss, "was Kara encouraged to jump from the hill today?" The always curious blonde couldn't help but ask.

"Nope, she stood looking down at the lake for an hour, but she didn't jump." The kangaroo wasn't ready for such a jump yet. "You know what was funny though?" She asked her curious girlfriend.

"Tell me," she ordered while hugging her girlfriend.

"She made me tell her the story of the legend of the lake again. I think she wants to learn it for when she brings a fan or an admirer some summer and be able to tell them by the light of the moon. The little kangaroo learns fast!" They both laughed.

"So, we will come back?" If it were up to the photographer she would live here. She had definitely fallen in love with the place. "To this house, again?" In case she hadn't understood.

"As many times as you want my love," she affirmed.


	43. 43. A real bachelorette party

** Casa Carvajal - Saturday **  
** (One week before the wedding) **

"Please Valentina! Open the door," Juliana begged through the bathroom door.

"Nope!" Valentina took the opportunity to change. "If you can't control yourself... Well then... you will have to stay in there!" The photographer couldn't stop laughing.

"It was only a few kisses, a few caresses and a few cuddles," she defended herself.

"Juliana... is that what you call waking me up with your mouth practically sucking and biting one of my nipples?" The artist could hear how her girlfriend hit her forehead against the door at the mention of that part of her anatomy.

"Ouch!" Valentina knew that blow had hurt. "It was just a few caresses to wake you up. I had no intention of disobeying you." Valentina had made it very clear that she wanted her well away from her private parts. At least until she was fully recovered. "Seriously, I was not looking for anything else, I swear," the blonde could almost hear the kisses her girlfriend was probably giving her fingers as part of the oath.

"Do you swear on Diet Coke?" She asked.

"Yes," was the immediate response of the brunette.

"Do you swear on Jessica Larsson?" She tried one of her weaknesses.

"Yep," that didn't sound so convincing.

"You swear on Michael Jordan?" Valentina gradually entered the areas she knew her girlfriend would not be so willing to cross. "Do you swear on Michael Jordan?" She asked again before the silence of her girl.

"Eeeee... yeah," a short and doubtful yes.

"Do you swear on me?" And with this answer the fate of the brunette would be decided. Absolute silence. Juliana murmured something that Valentina could not distinguish. "I can't hear you," she said.

"Okay, I lied!" Juliana said louder so she could be heard clearly.

"I need more information darling," the blonde really liked to play with her brunette.

"It's a lie that I only had those intentions," she completed.

"And what were your intentions my love?" She already knew but she liked to hear it.

"I wanted to make love to you again," she could perfectly imagine the kind of pouting her girl was making in the bathroom.

The blonde had wanted to take advantage of the fact that Kara had gone to Los Angeles with her father. She had planned to carry out as much work as possible, helping her friends with the final preparations for the wedding and organising Lauren's bachelorette party.

The problem was Valentina forgot that her girlfriend was Juliana 'the beast' Valdés and that the brunette would have her own plans in the absence of Kara. Which basically consisted of 'christening' all corners of the house, according to the words of the sportswoman. The kitchen countertops, chairs and armchairs in the living room, the table around the armchairs, bathtubs, showers, and every potential place that Juliana or even sometimes she herself considered feasible to have sex. The only forbidden place was Kara's room. What was worse, not even Sergio's kitchen was spared, and the latter was the photographer's idea. To the regret of her girlfriend, the photographer had no choice but to resort to locking her in the bathroom. Sooner or later, she had to organise everything for the night's bachelorette party.

"See you tonight, Sam is going to come and open for you, I already sent him a message." Valentina awaited the answer from her girlfriend which never came, "Juls..." the photographer approached the bathroom door, "baby... are you okay?" She asked without receiving an answer. "Do you have a bump on your head?" She bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Yes... but maybe if someone kisses it better, the pain will go away quicker," she tried.

"Nice try my love, but maybe a cold shower will help you lower the bump and other things too... Do you love me?" She couldn't leave without hearing her say it.

"Very much," Juliana was not going to leave room for doubts. "So much that I could knock this door down right now, but I'm holding back for you," she told her.

Valentina was left thinking, _'She couldn't... Her girlfriend was strong but not strong enough to knock down a door, right?'_ A message on her cell phone pulled her out of her thoughts while hearing the shower running. "Ines will kill me if I'm late... I love you... See you at the party." She barely heard the voice of her girlfriend singing under the water, she realised she hadn't heard her and couldn't help but laugh and shake her head when she made out the lyrics to 'I just got laid,' coming out of the brunette's mouth. Her girlfriend was incorrigible and worst of all, she loved her that way.

~~~~~~

"Sweetie, are you there?" Lauren approached the bathroom door with the intention of entering without knocking, she was sure she would find something very nice, but when she didn't hear the water running, she stopped and knocked on the door. "Valentina told me that you needed ice," the blonde couldn't relax knowing her girlfriend had hit her head. Lauren opened the door. "Thank you, God," she murmured looking at the ceiling. Juliana Valdés wrapped only in a towel combing her hair in front of the mirror. And thank God for the quick reactions of the Latina, who was able to take a photo with her cell phone before the athlete even realised.

"Hi Lolo!" She greeted happily, "Thanks for coming for me," she left the bathroom. "Can you turn around?" I needed to change.

"You really have to stop falling into the trap of 'What if we bathe together?' from Valentina!" Lauren warned her from behind.

"Yeah, I know," like she was ever going to stop falling it, "that damn blonde has superpowers Lolo, I know what I'm saying... she just has to look at me and... _snap_... I'm spellbound! It's like I have no control over myself... And not to mention when she speaks to me, something inside me wakes up and and..."

"Now, now, calm down... Come here,” the Latina grabbed the already dressed basketball player and sat her on the bed and put the ice where she had a small bump. "I think you need it elsewhere, but I don't think V really likes the idea of my hand touching her favourite place." And if Valentina found out about the photo she had just taken; she would be left without a bridesmaid. "How was Camila's bachelorette party?" The dancer had held her party the night before.

"Before or after the clowns arrived?" Lauren could see how Juliana trembled just by naming them.

Still holding the ice, she spoke again, "Before."

"Well, apart from the fact that Shane and Mariana drunk are capable of anything, and that your girlfriend has a slight tendency to undress, nothing exciting happened. Your sister-in-law is a bitch though." Juliana had to listen to Camila's sister speak ill of Lauren all night. And of all lesbians in general.

"I know, she can't stand me," she added.

"And your grandmother doesn't like me at all," she said.

"I know, she told me." She rolled her eyes.

"Your dad wants me to look at his car," Camila had not skimped on guests.

"I know, he kept talking about that," the lawyer's father had been delighted with the athlete. "And after the clowns?" She asked out of curiosity.

"I don't know, I ran," she said as if that was normal. "I had to ask my therapist to repeat the treatment," she said.

"At that time of night?" If the brunette confirmed that there were therapists on duty twenty-four hours, the Latina knew who she would turn to after dinners with her parents and in-laws. Juliana smirked and Lauren rolled her eyes. "Let me guess. Did you play Clown with V again?" The brunette nodded, "You definitely need the ice somewhere else!" Said the lawyer leaving the frozen bag between Juliana's legs.

The athlete didn't even try to remove it, the truth was, it felt quite good. "Hey, what about you? Are you ready for tonight?" Today it was the other single woman's turn.

"I hope V really shows off. Because it's my last outing as Miss Jauregui and I want to enjoy it." Neither of them knew what the blonde had planned. Lauren, because Valentina told her it was surprise and Juliana because... well, because they didn't talk a lot these days.

** Jess's Bar - Lauren's bachelorette party **

Juliana was one of the last to arrive at the party organised by her girlfriend because she had to train late. When she entered her friend's bar, the first thing she saw was a long table full of young and old women, including the Latina's grandmother. But two things caught her attention. The first was her own girlfriend, obviously, who delighted her with a simple denim skirt and a black T-shirt, she seemed very busy carrying presents to the table. The second thing that caught her eye was Lauren, she was sitting at the far end of the long table. The Latina, contrary to what anyone would think, she did not look happy. The fact that she had a party hat on her head, did not help either.

"She is not in a good mood, right now, I would rather face Wolverine than her!" Jess passed by the athlete with a tray full of drinks.

Juliana followed the waitress, "Did something happen?" She asked curious.

"If it were your bachelorette party and your mother and mother-in-law were forbidding you to take a drop of alcohol... how would you feel?" She said ironically and began to deliver the orders to the table.

Juliana immediately went to greet the lawyer. "Hey, you good?" She asked.

"See that glass bottle?" Lauren pointed to one near them. Juliana nodded. "Well, do me a favour... grab it and smash it over my head. It can't be worse than this!" That confirmed the athlete's initial assessment of her friend.

"A Diet Coke for the brunette that will help me win one hundred dollars in the next game," Jess approached the girls, "and a mix of tropical juices for the sexiest Latina I've ever seen, and Sofia Vergara had lunch here once!" The waitress tried to cheer her up.

"That wasn't Sofia Vergara Jess," Juliana had also been there that day. "It was a Drag Queen who called herself Sofia Verga-ra." She corrected her.

"It's your word against mine brunette," she turned around and left.

"Cheer up!" Lauren was blowing bubbles with her non-alcoholic drink. "It can't be that bad, can it?" Lauren's look said it all.

"And this is from your cousin Laurencita," Lauren's mother opened the gifts.

"I bet it's lingerie," Juliana told her.

"A BAG!" The woman informed the rest, and in chorus they all made a subtle "Aaaaa!" Lauren's eyes widened.

"And this is from... Sinu," It was a big box. Camila's mother had nearly worn herself out trying to open it.

"Is it wrong if I think that a naked woman could jump out of it?" Juliana asked almost secretly.

"A COT!" Clara announced.

"Do you want me to hit you with the bottle now or would you prefer to wait a little longer?" Was the next question from the athlete.

"This is from... Juliana." Everyone at the table looked for the brunette to find her at the end of the table.

"Hi there!" She greeted the brunette waving her hand. She found blue eyes looking at her reproachfully.

"Let's see what it is..." Clara opened the package. "Some DVDs... I'm not sure what they say," it was going to take some time to remove the wrapping.

"They must be those spiritual videos, that couples use to analyse their relationship," said Camila's mother.

"Or maybe the ones that give you tips to be a good mother or wife," Juliana didn't know who said that.

"It says... 'Jessica Larson and the best oral sex of your life... The complete collection'." Immediately all the women looked for the basketball player. Even Lauren and Jess who was on her way back to the table.

"YOU'RE WELCOME!" The brunette said to the lawyer. "And let me tell you," Juliana had not realised that she was the centre of attention, "If you learn to move your tongue like Jessica does in these movies, I assure you that Camila will know what it's like to walk on the moon. Do you hear me, the moon! She will reach the damned stars. Especially in volume four when she gets between the legs of..."

An elbow from the waitress interrupted her. Do you remember the X-men movie when they try to shoot Magneto and he stops all the bullets? Well, in this case Juliana is Magneto and the bullets are looks, and Juliana couldn't stop them, they practically pierced her skin, especially the one that came from a certain blonde who continued passing gifts.

"Thank you, sweetie, it's the best gift of all," the Latina whispered in her ear. "Too bad that tonight you will be sleeping on the sofa though." Jess quickly agreed with Lauren. Juliana gulped under the murderous gaze of her girlfriend, who continued to stare at her.

"WOW!" Now Lauren and Jess were sitting on either side of the athlete. "I would be getting a headache by now if she was looking at me like that," said the waitress.

"I just hope they don't find my other gift." Her two friends widened their eyes at what she said.

"And this last one is from... Juliana!" Oops, the looks shot her way again. "Well, I hope that this one will make up for the last one." This time the gift was in a bag.

"Maybe Lauren should open it at home?" Valentina, just by looking at her girlfriend's face knew the gift screamed 'DANGER!'

"Don't worry darling," the lady calmed her, "It's just a t-shirt," and Valentina released a relieved breath. What could be wrong with a t-shirt? "A white T-shirt that says, 'Since I got married, I learned to...'" Clara lifted it to show it off. "What do we think girls?" She let the others guess what was written on the other side. Lauren's mother took her role very seriously.

"Since I got married, I learned to love!" Said the Intolerable sister of Camila. Lauren and Juliana rolled their eyes.

"Since I got married, I learned to cook!" This was one of her cousins.

"Since I got married, I learned to share," Juliana sank more and more in her chair.

"We'd better reveal the unknown then," Clara said. "The shirt says, 'Since I got married I learned to..." she turned the shirt over, "Masturbate!" Jess and Lauren gave such a loud laugh that even Kara in Los Angeles must have heard them. Of course, afterwards they would return to their warm beds, together with their respective husband and fiancée.

"Why don't we start with the games?" Valentina took the shirt from Clara's hand and walked slowly to her girlfriend.

"God, she is walking slowly... this is the end!" The athlete was almost sliding under the table. "And the kangaroo is not here to defend me," at least Kara accompanied her on her sofa nights.

The photographer gave the T-shirt to the Latina and looked at her girlfriend to say, "Complete the sentence... 'From tonight Juliana will have to learn to...'"

"Spoil her girlfriend?" Said the brunette at random.

"Try again," Valentina asked.

"I know I know!" Jess raised her hand. "To masturbate!" She answered.

"Exactly!" Valentina congratulated her and turned around.

"Seriously sweetie, thanks for coming. You made my night!" Lauren couldn't stop laughing.

"My boss is going to deduct the hours but it was totally worth it!" The waitress joined in on the laughter.

Meanwhile Juliana no longer knew how to defend herself from her girlfriend's murderous glances, force fields, Captain America's shield, Wonder Woman's whip, it was all useless. They were one after another and getting stronger.

~~~~~~

"Well Attention everyone!" Valentina was at the end of the table opposite her girlfriend. "Clara and Sinu brought a question-and-answer game for Lauren to answer."

"The torture continues and I have no alcohol in my blood," Lauren complained again.

"Do you want me to secretly bring you something?" Asked the waitress.

"Are you crazy?! My mother watches over me like a hawk. Also, I don't want my mother-in-law or sister-in-law to have the perfect excuse to speak ill of me!" She was right, it wasn't worth it.

"First of all, I want to warn you," Sinu took the floor, "this game may be a bit... you know... ris...qué!!"

An "Oooohhhhh," was heard at the table.

"Is it necessary to separate everything into syllables?" The Latina was completely irritated.

"Lauren!" They called her. "First question... From one to ten, how would you rate Camila's body?" If these women knew that Juliana played this game with Kara, the brunette would not leave the bar alive.

"A ten obviously," Lauren answered obediently.

"Suck up," whispered the other two.

"Very good dear, very good!" Her mother-in-law congratulated her.

"Next question," this was Clara. "What is the preferred pose...?" Now the game was beginning to heat up.

"That's so easy!" Her daughter interrupted her, "Camila loves when I put myself between her legs while she takes care of my breasts," she said.

"Hey," Juliana was talking again. "That is one of my favourites with Valentina too," they shared a high five.

"The question was, what is Camila's preferred pose when taking a photograph?!" Lauren's embarrassed mother corrected her.

At least this time the athlete was not the only one who received the bullets.

** In the car - On the way back from the bar **

After the 'party' ended, the women all shared taxis back to their hotels, while Juliana was in charge of taking Lauren to her apartment along with Valentina, her current girlfriend.

Juliana had an angry blonde in the seat next to her and in the rear-view mirror she could see the bored Latina. If only she could save the night... but, of course! The athlete turned abruptly changing their direction.

"What the hell are you doing? My apartment is the other direction," protested the lawyer.

"We are not going to your apartment," she warned.

"Juliana... turn around right now, we're leaving Lauren home," her girlfriend warned her.

"Valentina, my love, any other time I would not dare to disobey you, but Lauren needs her bachelorette party and we are going to give it to her!" Superwoman to the rescue.

"Not that I'm complaining, but if you're planning a threesome, I don't want to leave my fiancée out, she has been imagining the two of you for a long time so we can't leave her out!" Lauren said.

"We are not having a threesome!" The athlete clarified as she stopped in front of a building with a huge sign with big red letters that said 'Hell.'

"I've heard of this place! But it is impossible to get in!" The Latina was definitely intrigued.

"Juliana, I am not going in there!" At this point, it was Valentina who was going to spoil the fun.

"Honey... It's your best friend's bachelorette party, she cannot end it without looking at a naked girl." The two brunettes put on their best puppy dog pout.

"She already had her party!" The photographer was not going to give in.

"Valentina," Juliana knew that her girlfriend needed to reflect on their night, "most of the gifts were things for babies! Babies that she hasn't even thought of having yet! HER MOTHER AND HER MOTHER-IN-LAW did not let her taste a drop of alcohol and as if that were not enough, they were scandalised because I said the word dildo!" The brunette had good arguments.

Valentina raised an eyebrow, "Juliana, you told Lauren's grandmother that she should try a dildo!" Well, maybe that argument wasn't the best.

"Yeah sweetie, that wasn't a very good move!" The lawyer supported her friend.

"I'M TRYING TO LET YOU SEE SOME BREASTS BEFORE YOU GET MARRIED WOMAN!" Lauren was not collaborating with the athletes cause.

"Please V! You are my bridesmaid, my best friend, my..."

"OK, FINE!" Lauren and Juliana clapped their hands. "Only for a little while though, do you hear me?" Before she could think of anything else to say, Juliana was already opening the door for her to get out.

"Don't even think that you're not sleeping on the couch after this!" She warned as they walked to the door that was guarded by a fairly robust coloured man.

"I still don't know how we're going to get in, this is supposed to be impos..."

"JULIANA!" The door man seemed excited to see her, "WHAT A GAME YOU PLAYED YESTERDAY! Forty-five points was insane!" Apparently, he was a Liberty fanatic.

"Hi Marco," fists clashed. "Is Mary working today?" Valentina's face was priceless. The brunette had to hold her tight before her girlfriend tried to bolt.

"Of course! And she will be very happy when she sees you," he opened the door and said, "You know the way."

As soon as they entered Juliana looked at Valentina, "Before you get mad, let me explain," she begged.

"Well, you better have a good explanation Juliana Valdés. I want to know why my girlfriend is practically a VIP client of a strip club!"

"I WAS... a client Valentina, WAS. This was the first club that I frequented. The one that mom and dad brought me, I already told you about that. The last time I came here was the day after our paintball game, when I saw you kissing Sara against your car. And all I did was cry with Mary."

"Who is Mary?" The blonde hadn't loosened her expression but at least she hadn't left. That was something.

"Mary is the owner of the club and was a good friend of my parents." The athlete waited for her girl's reaction.

"I don't think we can leave now anyway," even with her angry face, the blonde pointed to one of the tables near the stage where a brunette was currently dancing, Juliana could see Lauren was now sitting comfortably with a bottle of beer in her hand. The brunette gave a huge smile to her girl, but the photographer avoided her and went to the table with her friend, ignoring her girlfriend.

Juliana looked at the bar, where an older woman was preparing drinks with great concentration, "Excuse me, I'm looking for an old and ruined woman named Mary," she said holding back laughter.

"Old and ruined would be your mother... JULIANA!" The woman practically jumped the bar and hugged the young basketball player.

The photographer had not lost sight of her girlfriend, she had watched her approach the older woman, but had to grip on to her chair very hard to stop herself from running over to kill the woman after the hug she gave her girlfriend. A grip she could not sustain when she saw that several of the 'workers' from the club began to approach and greet her girlfriend with enthusiasm.

"You dance very well brunette. I imagine it must be difficult to do with those magnificent breasts." Lauren's comment, along with the fact that Juliana was pointing at her from the bar, was the opportunity Valentina needed go get her girlfriend.

When she arrived, Juliana grabbed her hand and spoke first, "She is," was all she said.

The owner of the club hugged her affectionately. "Thank you for making my little girl happy, believe me, I have seen her look at many women," the woman pointed to the stage. "But her eyes have never shone like they do when she speaks of you," she said. "And the way she is looking at you now, I must tell you, you have that girl crazy," she hugged her again.

"Mary could you send your best dancer to that girl," she pointed to Lauren, "it's her bachelorette party." She explained.

Without hesitation the woman raised her hand and two seconds later a very pretty young brunette appeared in front of them. "Jasmine I need your best dance for that young woman over there," she explained.

"Don't skimp on wiggling," Juliana asked, "but just a dance please!" She didn't want any problems with Camila.

"Don't worry, brunette, I know what I'm doing," the stripper told her in a very sensual tone that Valentina did not like at all.

"Are you going to stay angry with me for a long time? You are killing me with your indifference Valentina." Since Mary had momentarily left them alone to attend to business, the blonde had not met Juliana's eyes. And when the brunette wanted to hold her hand, the photographer quickly let go.

"How many of them have you slept with?" She asked without taking her eyes off the stage.

"None!" The answer came quickly, "I have never paid for sex!" She clarified. "You don't believe me, right? You think I continue to come here, right?" The answer never came. So, Juliana decided to go see what the hell Lauren wanted, she had been waving at her for more than fifteen minutes.

"JULS!" The young woman kept dancing on top of the Latina, "THANK YOU! DAMN IT SWEETIE! WHEN I TELL CAMILA, SHE IS GOING TO DIE OF ENVY! TAKE A PHOTO OF ME!" The Latina handed Juliana her cell phone. "THE BEST BACHELORETTE PARTY IN THE WORLD! WHISKY!" _Click!_ Lauren came out perfectly in the photo with Jasmine's breasts in the background.

** Meanwhile at the bar. **

Despite the blonde's anger, she couldn't help but smile when she saw Lauren's interaction with her girlfriend.

"The last time she came," Mary appeared next to the photographer, "she told me that there was a hateful, self-centred blonde who was driving her crazy. And she also said, 'Mary... if you saw her you would mistake her for an angel. She is beautiful... she is much more than beautiful... she is... she is a Goddess of Mount Olympus. I assure you she is not from this planet." They both laughed. "She also told me that if there was someone who could compete with you, it was your daughter."

"Our daughter," she corrected.

The woman gave her a tender smile, "She told me that you were dating someone, but she knew that sooner or later God would give her a chance with you. And the day she got it, she would not waste it because from the day she saw you... she spilled your coffee, right?" She asked, Valentina nodded smiling. "From the day she saw you, she knew you were the owner of her heart. That girl loves you my dear." Mary grabbed her hand, "Let her show you," she begged.

Valentina looked at her and could not avoid the hug that followed, "Take good care of her." The woman whispered in her ear.

"I promise," Valentina assured her.

** At the table **

Lauren was already on her sixth drink and had her gaze focused on the dancers on stage, Juliana searched for Valentina without any success in finding her.

"Yes, I believe you," someone whispered from behind.

"Seriously?" The brunette asked her girlfriend.

"Very seriously." The blonde sat on her girlfriend's lap.

"Valentina I..."

"Shhhh. Do not speak. Kiss me!" She ordered.

"Your wish is my command, my Queen," Juliana complied.

"BRAVO! BRAVO!" Lauren's applause separated them. "Good thing I recorded that dance step, Camz is going to love it!" That was not exactly allowed in these types of bars, but each to their own.

"I have never come to a place like this before," Valentina confessed to her girlfriend while she left little kisses on her jaw.

"Never? Like never, never?" Juliana was not going to endure a night on the couch if these kisses continued.

"Never, never, never," Valentina assured her.

"Well, that is easy to fix," the brunette stood up and set her girlfriend in the seat. "Jasmine, can you come here for a moment?" Again, the services of the young woman were required.

"What are you doing honey?" Valentina asked from her seat.

"Nobody enters their first strip club and leaves without a dance," the young woman appeared next to Juliana. "Jasmine wiggle less than the previous dance please and from a little further away. This my girlfriend," she warned before the girl started her dance.

"HEY!! That's not fair!" Lauren protested. "IT'S MY BACHELORETTE... she should have to go have tea with my mother and my mother-in-law!" Evidently alcohol made her talk more.

"If you want, it will be your turn again after, Lolo," Juliana said without taking her eyes off her girlfriend.

"Seriously?" The brunette nodded. "Could you get me a blonde next time? Camila will die!!" She just had to speak to Mary and seconds later Lauren was taking pictures with a different dancer.

"Juls... baby..." The photographer, who still had the dancer on top of her, was calling her girlfriend.

"Yes honey?" The brunette approached her girlfriend.

"The sofa is suspended until further notice." And this time Kara, all the way in Los Angeles heard Juliana's sigh of relief.


	44. 44. The extraordinary board

**_Miss Juliana Valdés,_ **   
**_You have been summoned to appear_ **   
**_on March 20th at 7:00 pm._ **   
**_At 233 Lincoln Street._ **   
**_Sincerely_ **   
**_The V.P.B._ **

** Future Jauregui-Cabello apartment - Two days before the wedding. **

Juliana stopped at the door of her friends building, once again she had been summoned. "Well, I'm here, and with ten minutes to spare. I'm calm... very calm... Oh God! I could use a Diet Coke right now." Her cell phone received a message and even with shaking hands she managed to read it.

_'Relax love. Everything is going to be fine.'_

It was Valentina, obviously. "That's easy to say when it's not you who's being cross-examined," she said to her phone. "Come on Juls! You are a superstar! You live under constant pressure from coaches, your teammates and fans, you can't be scared by a simple meeting." And with this self-conviction the athlete pressed the intercom.

"Come in," a voice from beyond the grave buzzed open the door of the building.

"You can do this Juliana! You can!" She repeated to herself as she arrived at the door of the apartment. She looked at her watch, "Seven o'clock. It'll be okay," she said and knocked on the door.

"Come in," the same voice encouraged her to enter.

The brunette entered the room expecting to find a circle of people around a chair, which she would occupy, but she was wrong. There was a chair for her, but she was not surrounded by people. Rather, the Jauregui-Cabello living room had disappeared, and instead of the sofa, there was a small platform. On top of the platform there was a child's highchair, accompanied by two stools, one on either side of the highchair. To the right of the stage there were two rows of seats and these were repeated on the left side of the stage.

"My God!" Was all the brunette managed to say when she saw so many seats. "This is going to be a massacre!" Camilla appeared behind her wearing a toga? It looked like a black toga. "Can you explain..."

"Juliana Valdés, please take a seat," the dancer pointed out the chair she had to use and the athlete did not delay in occupying it. The brunette took out a sheet and proceeded to read.

"From this moment on, everything you say can and will be used against you or may be recorded for future analysis." Juliana knew that Camila was the spokesperson for the group. "You should only speak when you are asked and you must answer absolutely all questions honestly. You were allowed to bring a leopard..."

"Lawyer darling," someone corrected her from behind.

"You were allowed to bring a lawyer. Did you come with someone?" Camila looked up from the paper to look at Juliana.

Juliana shook her head. "No," she replied regretfully. It was actually Lauren's fault, she had warned her that hiring a lawyer would deduct points and blah, blah, blah, she should have guessed it was just an intimidating act from the Latina. Even more so when the dancer, after hearing the negative whisper something like, “Every time you sink even deeper!”

"To begin the meeting, you must stand," she looked at the brunette who, from the speed she stood up, threw the chair backwards.

"Sorry," she apologised while lifting it.

Camila after a semi-deadly look, because nothing deadly could come out of Camz's eyes, continued with the reading. "First we welcome the voluntary members of the Board." One by one they settled in the rows to the right, Lucho, Finn, Arturo, Glen, Kurt, Shane, Mariana, Sugar, Sam, Derek, Joe and Rory. All dressed the same as the ballerina. The athlete only recognised her friends from New York, therefore she assumed that the rest were Valentina’s friends from high school who had been invited to the wedding.

"Now we welcome the advisory members," the spokeswoman announced, giving way to Camila's parents, Lauren's parents, and the dancer's sister who began to fill the seats to the left. "The following are the mandatory members," Juliana had no problem recognising Leon and Lucia. "Now we welcome the ovarian members..."

"Honorary," she was corrected again by a voice that the athlete was beginning to distinguish as Lauren's.

"The honorary members," Valentina's sister, or at least that was who she assumed she was from the photos she had seen, and Lauren's grandmother, who from the moment she met her, she knew she would not win her approval.

Juliana thought there were too many chairs because according to her calculations they were all there and there were still five empty chairs, three for Lauren, Camila, and her daughter, but what about the other two? The brunette began to perspire.

"We are pleased to announce the presence of a probationary member, for the time being." The next person to appear was...

"NIKKI! What the hell are you doing here?" Juliana felt the stab in her back. Automatically all the members present grabbed their notebook and started to make notes. "NO, NO THAT DOESN'T COUNT! STOP WRITING! It was just the shock of seeing my former teammate in the room." No matter how much she begged the annotations did not stop. "Damn it!" She murmured looking at the substitute. "Let's see if you get a pass from me next game!" She whispered.

"Do you want to add something Miss Valdés? Whatever you have to say, should be said out loud," Nikki warned.

Juliana did not answer, rather she stared at her teammate, if she was lucky the girl would explode.

"Having chosen the option to participate by this honourable assembly, but only as an observer, we welcome Miss Valentina Carvajal," announced the dancer.

You would think that seeing Valentina would reassure the brunette, but it was the opposite. Juliana could not help drooling when her girl appeared dressed in the same gown as the rest but in blue. _'Mmmm Valentina in a toga,'_ Juliana's thoughts sounded like Homer Simpson saying "Mmmm donuts." Immediately the jury began to scribble on their notepads. "HEY! THAT DOESN'T COUNT EITHER!" _God Juliana, control yourself!_ She said to herself as she watched her girlfriend try to hide her laughter. "Cheating blonde," she murmured.

"We now welcome the sexiest, prettiest, hottest vice president with breasts that..."

"Camila!" The hidden voice stopped her again.

"I'm sorry... We welcome our vice president Lauren Jauregui," Lauren entered the room and without wasting time settled into one of the stools on the platform. "Finally, everyone please rise," everyone got up from their chairs. "To welcome, recently arrived from Los Angeles, the president of the board, Miss Kara Carvajal," announced the spokeswoman and then took the other stool on the platform.

Juliana couldn't hide her smile when she saw her daughter in her robe, that was too big, trying to climb into the highchair. How she had missed her little kangaroo.

"Do you see something amusing, Miss Valdés?" Lauren began the torture of the athlete.

"It's not that..."

"No one told you to speak," interrupted the Latina. "Camz you can start," she smiled at her fiancée.

"We begin the extraordinary meeting to decide whether or not the presence of Miss Valdés in the life of the sweet, affectionate and beautiful Valentina Carvajal," Juliana rolled her eyes when she saw how her girlfriend battered her eyelashes. "Miss Valdés, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" She asked the brunette.

"Yes, I swear," Juliana answered without hesitation.

Kara grabbed a small hammer from her hand and knocked the tray on the chair. "Let's start the meeting," she ordered.

"I ask for the floor, Madam President," a man in a wheelchair raised his hand.

"Go ahead Arturo," granted Kara. "Miss Valdés a few days ago I received material that I would like you to explain to me..."

"What Materi..."

"Miss Valdés, I already explained that you cannot speak without permission!" Camila repeated.

"Thank you, Miss Cabello," Juliana did not miss Lauren's face when the man spoke to her girlfriend. "As I was saying, I would like you to explain or give your opinion on certain photos that were sent to me." Arturo pointed to a wall and a screen appeared with a picture of Juliana in her underwear, on top of a girl's shoulders, shaking a bottle of what appeared to be Champagne. "What do you have to say about this?" He asked.

"That photo was taken at the celebration of my first championship in London and I..."

"Apparently there were several celebrations," the boy continued to press the remote and different photos appeared every few seconds. Juliana appeared at different celebrations, always in her underwear and hugging or on top of one of her companions. In some she even wore a party hat.

"Do you always celebrate in so few clothes Miss?" This had to be Sinu's doing.

"Well, this is usually what happens in sports when something important is won," Juliana defended herself. "Usually, the shirts are thrown to the public, it is part of my job," she explained.

"And in these photos what had you won?" Esteban, Lauren's father was the one asking.

"In that picture..." she pointed to the screen, "we had just won the league." Arturo changed the photo. "In that photo, the international club cup." The brunette had surprised the men of the board. Point for Juliana... until Arturo clicked again. "Eeeee..."

"I remind you that you are under oath," the boy pressed.

Juliana swallowed hard. "Eeeee... well, that was the celebration after I won a game of strip poker at a friend's party." Arturo returned to his place while Juliana could hear the pens scoring the notepads.

"And do you consider a strip poker game to be an important sporting activity or part of your job?" The one who asked was Alejandro, the dancer's father.

"Well, considering that I was the only one left with clothes, yes, it was quite important," this was not a time for jokes.

"How often do you see women without clothes?" This was Lucia's first question.

"Does Valentina count?" Juliana could feel the murderous looks on her skin. She should have thought better about her answer.

"No, she doesn't count!" Clarified the mother of her embarrassed girlfriend. Although after what she had seen at her granddaughter's birthday, that simple question should not have scared her.

"Well then never," she answered sure of her answer.

"Are you sure about that Miss Valdés?" Juliana did not know how she was going to do it, but some way or another she was going to request that Nikki be transferred to another team, just for that question.

"Valdés, are you lying to the board?" Lauren wasn't going to miss this moment.

"I don't think the players in the locker room count. We all have to remove our clothes to shower and change, nothing else." During her answer she refused to look at the substitute.

"Whether it counts or not, we will decide," Shane was the one who spoke, "Just answer Mrs Carvajal's question." She insisted.

Juliana crossed her arms indignantly. "There are naked or scantily clad women practically every day, in the gym and in the showers, but that does not mean that I look at them!" She defended herself again.

"Miss Juliana Valdés?" Camila took command. "Can you explain this photo to us? Arturo please." The boy clicked and a photo appeared on the screen where Lauren appeared with Leila, the blonde stripper that Mary had sent them, on top of the Latina's legs and next to them were Valentina and Jazmín, another striper, in the same position. To make matters worse, both her girlfriend and the lawyer had a beer in their hands.

"Eeeee..." Juliana immediately looked for Lauren and her girlfriend but by coincidence neither of them were looking at her.

"Maybe we should start by asking, who took the photograph?" Derek decided to join Camilla's interrogation.

"I did," replied the brunette.

"And who bought them the beer they are drinking?" One of the parents asked.

"I asked for them... but they were a gift from Mary," she explained, actually the whole night was a gift from the woman.

"Who is Mary?" Juliana noticed that the tall boy with the silly face had asked the question.

"The owner of the place," she answered.

"And what exactly is that place?" Nikki was making her friend suffer again.

"Nikki, don't play dumb, you were with me the last time we went!" It's easy to forget things.

"Surely, sweet girls like Lolo and Valen must have believed it was just a normal dance club," Clara spoke. "Isn't that right, girls?" Juliana didn't know which one to look at first.

"Yes mom," Lauren answered.

"Yes Clara," Valentina answered.

"But it's not a dance venue, right Juls?" Apparently, Camila was still angry because they didn't invite her. Juliana could still hear the lecture she got from the dancer when she had left a drunken Lauren in her apartment.

"Nope." She didn't want to add anything that could harm her.

"What kind of place are we talking about then?" The dancer asked again.

"It's a strip club," the murmurs became louder.

"Whose idea was it to go?" Asked Sam.

"Mine." Juliana answered without flinching. "I figured Lauren deserved a real bachelorette party," she explained.

"Now it turns out that not only did you drag our two innocent little girls," Sinu pointed to the Latina and the blonde who still hadn't raised their heads, "to that seedy bar..."

"Excuse me, Mrs. Jauregui, but I'm not going to allow you to talk about Mary's club like that. It's the best club in town." She wasn't lying.

"Ignoring what you just said, are you suggesting that the party that we organised, including your girlfriend, was not a real bachelorette party?" She finished her question.

"It was not to my taste." Juliana answered, who by this point was already crucified.

"Lolo," the Latina looked at her mother. "Did you like the party we threw for you?" She inquired.

"I loved it mommy!" She lied. Juliana rolled her eyes at the betrayal she was experiencing.

"I didn't go because I wasn't invited," Nikki spoke, "but I am sure that the party that you organised Mrs Jauregui, was a success!" Nikki was going to sit on the bench for the rest of the season.

"May I speak, Miss Judge," Lucho needed the authorisation of his daughter to be able to speak.

"You have permission daddy," Kara authorised.

"Thank you. Miss Valdés, you understand that in this room there are four of Valentina's ex-boyfriends and..."

"WHAT? FOUR? YOU AND WHO ELSE? Juliana only knew about Kara's father.

"Finn," he pointed to the tall one with the silly face. "Joe," the skinny man with bad attitude. "Sam and me." The presentations finished.

"And what does that have to do with me?" If it were up to Juliana, she would have already removed the smiles on the faces of the four stupid men.

"If you would let me speak, I would be able to get to the question," said the man. "Good. The four of us know how demanding Valentina can be as a girlfriend," the other three agreed. "Are you willing to fulfil all her whims?" Finally, the question.

"What Valentina wants, Valentina gets!" The athlete refused to talk more about her relationship with her girlfriend's ex-boyfriends.

"Is that all you're going to say?" Asked Joe.

"Yes!" She answered dryly. "Valentina will never want for anything, whether she is by my side or not." She clarified.

"Miss Valdés," Eva spoke. She had not stopped looking at Juliana with curiosity, the brunette had never heard her voice. "It has reached my ears..."

"Not only my ears!" Lucia commented.

Valentina's sister continued, "We are aware of how easily you give in to the weakness of the flesh. We have a box full of videos that show your great sexual appetite." Arturo appeared with the box of the brunette's former videos.

"Especially, of a slut named Jessica Larsson, apparently!" Shane spoke of her own anger it seems.

"Jessica Larsson is not a slut, she is a professional actress!" The athlete could no longer measure her words. "And since I had the pleasure of meeting her personally, I dare to say that she is a very educated woman," she added. She no longer cared about anything. "I also planned to kidnap Valentina and her daughter and flee to Mexico. We could sell tacos or something."

"We cannot continue with the meeting if the examinee continues to interrupt," Lauren's grandmother protested. "I ask for her exile immediately!" Well, we already knew she wasn't a fan of the brunette.

Kara's hammer blows were heard. "Calm down Mrs Ruth," she looked at her mother. "Miss Valdés, could you stop interrupting the questions please?" As if she could say no to the same eyes as her other mother.

"Well," Eva continued, "not only do we have the DVD’s, but also several testimonies that claim to have seen Valentina walk with difficulty or remain unconscious for several hours after spending the night with you. What I wanted to ask..." Eva moved on, ignoring the others. "Is if you can control that sexual appetite when it is required?" She questioned.

"I'll do the best I can." No one understood that she was no longer in control when it came to Valentina. The blonde was the only one who could do anything she wanted with her. If anyone knew how to control her, it was the photographer. In fact, the repeated confinements in the bathroom proved it.

"That answer does not leave us satisfied," Mariana said.

"It's all I can promise." Juliana had her head in her hands.

"Mr Lucho, your turn," the man had raised his hand again.

"During the week that Kara spent at my house, my boyfriend and I were subjected to a series of behaviours by my daughter that caught our attention..."

"I thought this was because of my relationship with Valentina and not because of my relationship with Kara." Juliana didn't like where this was going.

"Exactly," Lucho added. "And everything about Kara is related to Valentina, so..."

"As long as the question does not discredit me as Kara's mother, I will answer it," warned the brunette who managed to create a great buzz in the room.

"ORDER IN THE ROOM!" Shouted the little girl, hitting the hammer. When silence fell, Lauren was the one who spoke. "Valdés, nobody here questions your motherhood to Kara but we do believe that your relationship with her is relevant. Final point." Valentina could perceive how her girlfrind's muscles were tense. "Continue Lucho," ordered the lawyer.

"The days that the kangaroo..."

"DON'T CALL HER THAT!" The brunette interrupted him again and again the murmurs and scribblings were heard.

"ORDER!" Hammer blows. "ORDER! Miss Valdés, you have no more warnings to be silent," her daughter said. "And from now on, I want it made clear that no member of this board has authorisation to call me kangaroo!" She warned. "Now, you can continue," said the little girl.

"During the days, Kara spent at my house, she only wanted to watch the movies she chose, she told us she always chose those movies because the actress, according to my daughter, 'was hot!" Several murmurs were heard. "And when my beloved boyfriend," Juliana rolled her eyes at the mention of Sergio, "asked how she considered whether or not a girl was hot, the girl simply answered, "Juliana’s _Lesson number 42_ : All women are great until they open their mouths!" The little girl avoided her mother's gaze. "What do you have to say about this?" Lucho questioned.

"The lessons don't lie," Juliana answered. At this point she couldn’t care less what they thought of her.

"Are you implying that you don't like it when Valentina speaks?" One of the girls from their high school asked. Her name was Sugar.

"Valentina is special. Valentina could talk all day and I would listen to her. I love her voice." Just thinking of her girlfriend's voice, made the brunette calm down.

"Are you planning to continue these lessons with the little one?" Clara's voice was heard this time.

"Kara's lessons are not negotiable unless she decides she doesn't want to receive them anymore," the player sentenced seriously. "The same goes with any topic related to Kara, I will answer to my daughter and my girlfriend only," she added.

"Whether she is your girlfriend is yet to be decided," Finn said quietly.

Valentina saw her girlfriend's face, she immediately looked at Lauren to send her a warning signal. "Miss Valdés," the Latina called the athlete's attention. "Is it true that Valentina is your first girlfriend?" She asked.

"Yes, it's true," she answered without taking her eyes off the fool.

"And what makes you think that you are the right person for Valentina?" The one who asked was a rather effeminate man in Juliana's eyes.

"I only know what she and I have together. I know that only I can make her happy and love her like nobody else." She said.

"Do you know that if you fail, there are several people willing to take your place?" Finn was talking again.

"Are you speaking for yourself?" She challenged him.

"Could be," everyone in the room thought this was getting too personal. And absolutely everyone jumped to grab Juliana, who was going like a bullet towards the man's chair. The athlete scored a few points for her strength.

"V!”

“Mom!"

Her friend and daughter both knew that she was the only one who could stop her. But before they called her, Valentina had already reached her girlfriend's side. "Juls... baby... look at me." Valentina could feel her girl's anger. "JULIANA LOOK AT ME!" She ordered. And the brunette did it immediately, "Calm down honey... Come on." Each one returned to their place when they noticed that Juliana relaxed.

"I want to go out on my motorcycle. I need to go shoot some hoops," the athlete whispered to her girlfriend. Valentina had already seen it in her eyes. In fact, the blonde knew that Juliana would most likely spend tonight on the court.

"I know love, I know. It's over, I promise," she placed a kiss on her lips and returned to her chair.

"Miss Valdés, we are going to ask you to leave the room. The members must deliberate, we will call you back in when we have made our decision," announced the spokeswoman, "but before you leave it is our duty to ask if you would like to add something," said the dancer.

Juliana stopped and took a breath, "I want to tell you that after this meeting, the board is going to disarm," she sentenced.

"And who are you to decide that?" Lauren's grandmother again.

"I am Valentina's girlfriend, and I will continue to be. I am sure that I will be her future wife one day and I am more certain that I will be the mother of her future children, as I am of Kara now." She said firmly.

"With more reason we have to be attentive," Glen liked the basketball player but even so he knew everything that Valentina had gone through and they were not going to leave her unprotected.

"You don't need to protect her anymore because I am here for that now," she said. "Nothing will happen to Valentina; I assure you with my own life. All you have to do is enjoy her as a friend, as a daughter or as a sister." She looked at her future sister-in-law. "I am in charge of the rest," she pointed at her own chest. "I am going to take care of Valentina and Kara because without them my life does not have meaning and because my only mission in this world is to make them happy, and I don't give a damn what you think. And I say it with all the respect you deserve."

With that said and without looking at anyone, she left the apartment, leaving more than one mouth open and the occasional smile.

"Well, it's time for us to vote..." The little girl started to speak but had to stop because of a loud noise that was heard from the corridor.

"I’ll go!" Nikki who did not have a vote, because she was just a probationary member, went out to investigate the noise.

"Those against Miss Valdés," a number of hands were raised.

"And those in favour," several hands also went up.

While they were voting, Valentina could see how Nikki re-entered the room and walked straight to Lauren to whisper something into her ear. The Latina, shaking her head, indicated to a cupboard, the player followed the instructions and took something out into the corridor. The photographer was not quite sure what it was.

"Nikki," Kara shouted, "let her know that she can come in now."

"It will take a few minutes," she warned and left.

** Ten minutes later **

The room fell silent again when the two players appeared.

"JULIANA!" Valentina could see her girl's bandaged hand.

"Did she hit the wall again?" She asked Nikki who was coming to her side.

"Yes... we have to try and get her to change hands next time," she concluded.

Before Valentina could challenge her girlfriend, Kara hit the hammer for silence. "Miss Valdés this meeting has decided that with a total of twenty-four votes in favour you have been... APPROVED!" The little girl sentenced with great happiness.

And luckily the decision had been made before everyone saw Juliana's reaction. Upon hearing the word ‘approved’ Juliana immediately went to her girlfriend, taking her hand and pulling her towards one of the bedrooms in the apartment. She needed to release some of her frustration.

"I think we all should go out for something to eat before..."

"GOD JULIANA!" Valentina's screams began.

"EVERYONE OUT! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" The Latina yelled.


	45. 45.  Ding! Ding! Ding!

At a times like these, Juliana missed her mother the least, make no mistake, Juliana loved, still loves her mother, but living, or rather, surviving the day of her mother's opening night, was quite a feat. She and her father would spend the entire day before planning their strategy. ' _I'll take care of her in the morning and you in the afternoon. And I'll meet you at the theatre,'_ her father had said the day before the premiere of Wicked. ' _Why do I get the worst part? You're supposed to be her husband... In good times and bad, isn't that what they say? Well, you like walking the red carpet with her afterwards and greeting the cameras with that stupid look on your face,'_ replied a teenage Juliana.

They both knew the mornings were more bearable because her mother entertained herself by vocalizing or choosing her wardrobe or she spent hours in long talks with the director of the play. But the afternoons, those four or five agonising hours before going to the theatre were terrifying, so frightening that when either of them heard her mother yell, _'MACARIO!'_ or _'JULIANA!'_ It immediately turned into a father versus daughter rugby match to see who could get out the door first. Juliana would rather play hide-and-seek with Freddy Kruger, Jason, or the Scream guy, than relive the tremors caused by her mother's screams.

You know how they say that sequels are never as good? Well in this case, it was not true. This horror sequel could easily be named, 'The Juliana Massacre Part II' and this one was much more violent, much bloodier, and much more terrifying than the first. Because if there was something worse than living with Guadalupe Valdés on opening night, it was living with the entire Carvajal and Jauregui families on Lauren's wedding day. And Juliana knew it, she knew it from the moment her beloved girlfriend, with her murderous look, her powerful smile and her perfect ass, came home with Lauren's wedding dress in hand and announced, "Love, tomorrow Lauren and her family are coming here to get ready before the wedding."

And when the brunette came home from her morning jog, and saw Lauren, Clara, Ruth, Eva, Lucia, her daughter and her girlfriend running around the apartment, she couldn't help but hear her father's laugh and his voice saying, _'This time maybe you will get the mornings and afternoons, muahahaha! And on top of that, there are five more women to look after, muahahaha!'_

And if that were not bad enough, the situation worsened when she saw Mateo, the husband of Valentina's sister, sitting comfortably in her favourite chair. From the moment they were introduced, the athlete had taken an immediate dislike to the man. But, as her girlfriend had pointed out, lately Juliana did not like anyone who came within two metres of Valentina. And Mateo's overfriendly hugs, were really beginning to anger the brunette.

'The Juliana Massacre Part II,' began with a lecture by the Latina's grandmother, Ruth, about how inappropriate, improper, and appalling the behaviour of the basketball player had been once the ruling, of the now dissolved VPB, had been announced.

Was it Juliana's fault that they chose to spend three hours outside the apartment because Valentina was constantly repeating words like, "MY GOD JULIANA!" "MORE, MORE, MORE!" "SHIT!" "NOW WITH YOUR MOUTH!" and the occasional moan or little cry? Was it the athlete's fault that her girlfriend was wearing a sexy toga and all she wanted to do was rip it off with her teeth? Of course not, but better to blame Juliana, right?

If Juliana had been chained by her feet, like in the movie SAW, and sawing off her foot was the only way to escape the matriarch of the Jauregui family... Juliana would have already escaped, she would be hopping her way to freedom on one foot. She was sure she would suffer less while bleeding to death.

When Juliana was finally able to convince Ruth that her 'inappropriate behaviour' would not be repeated, _'As if!'_ the brunette laughed to herself, the woman left her alone. But what Juliana had not realised was that the 'charming' grandmother had been the least of her problems. The rest of the women in the apartment seemed like they had gone crazy, possessed by some evil beings. They were driving her crazy with their arguing and crying.

Things only got better when her beloved future father-in-law, decided to tell Lauren that her eyes looked a little swollen, so now the basketball player, the star of the Liberty team, the woman who makes thousands of fans scream every game, was out buying cucumbers in a convenience store on the streets of Manhattan.

"Is a kilogram enough, Juliana?" Mrs. Cho, owner of the shop, asked her.

But Juliana wasn't listening to her. The player was distracted wondering how many onions she would have to peel in order to cry the equivalent number of tears that six dangerous women were shedding in her apartment right now. _"My daughter is getting married!"_ Lauren's mother had started the first round of crying. _"My granddaughter is getting married!"_ After a while Ruth started the next crying session. _"My best friend, my soul sister is getting married!"_ Of course, this time it was Valentina _._

 _"I still remember all those afternoons I spent teaching you and Valen the cheerleading choreography,"_ Eva said between tears. Apparently, Lucia had been the one to start the cheerleading tradition in the family and her daughters had continued it. The same woman who added, _"It feels like it was only yesterday when you and my Valen entered preschool for the first time."_

But what impacted the brunette the most and the reason she gave up her battle against the tears, was when her daughter, her kangaroo, her drummer, her Pooh Bear, let out a huge cry followed by _"My aunt is getting married!"_ which generated a long chain reaction of wailing. Followed by sniffling and ending with a round of hugs.

Things had just started to settle down when the always subtle Leon made his faux pas about the Latina's eyes, which caused an avalanche of screams, followed by an extensive search for products and a tidal wave of voices that stopped when the brunette heard Lauren's voice, "Sweetie, would you mind going to buy some cucumbers?"

"Juliana! Juliana!" Mrs. Cho had been trying to communicate with the brunette for several seconds. "I asked you if a kilogram is okay?" She repeated.

"Yes. Yes, a kilogram is fine," or so she thought, but what if the tears came back? "Maybe add another just in case!" She wanted to cover all possibilities.

"Great game last night. You were unstoppable!" Mr. Cho appeared to congratulate the brunette. The man had already expressed his passion for Liberty basketball more than once. "One more victory and we are in Play Offs!" Like she needed reminded, the coach already called her every day to remind her.

"Hopefully, with a bit of luck..." her cell phone beeped and the tremors in her body reappeared. And although her mind and body screamed 'DO NOT ANSWER!', the brunette read 'Message from My Queen’ and could not stop herself.

_‘Where are you? I need you! Come back as fast as you can.’_

"Mr. Cho, are there any fruits or vegetables that have a calming or relaxing effect?" Juliana briefly wondered if she could do a Yiya Murano and put them all to sleep for a couple of hours.

"Well, they say that apples are slightly soporific but..."

"Mrs. Cho add two kilos of apples please," she asked subtly.

"Sleeping problems Juliana?" Asked the owner.

"Not exactly..." her cell phone rang again, the song 'Angel' began to play, Valentina's ringtone, but this time it sounded more like a funeral march to the athlete's ears.

But when she answered, she heard Lauren's voice, "Get back here!" And she cut the call.

"Mr and Mrs Cho... if you don't see me for a few days could you please make sure that my body has a dignified burial. But above all, please make sure I am not left in the hands of a lady named Ruth." She quickly gave each one a hug. "Goodbye," she grabbed the bags and left.

"I hope the anti-doping agency aren't testing players this week," Mr. Cho said to his wife. The latter went to serve another client, muttering something like, "The young people of today."

** Back at the apartment **

Juliana took a deep breath and opened the door expecting to find Leon, Mike and Mateo still sitting on the couch, but instead she collided with six women in bathrobes, with towels on their heads and judging by the position of their hands and feet, they were waiting for their nails to dry. _'Mmm Valentina in a robe,'_ was the first thing she thought, but was quickly erased when the group of vultures, because it was the most suitable name for them at this moment, began to give the brunette orders as soon as they saw her. The athlete didn't know which one to go to first, her daughter wanted to watch Nemo, Lucia wanted Juliana to make her a Martini, Lauren wanted her to cut a few slices of cucumber, her girlfriend asked her to call Camila to see if she needed anything and the list went on and on and on.

"Does anyone want an apple?" The naive brunette thought it would be an easy way to calm the women. But as soon as she produced an apple, the vultures were quick to educate Juliana on the bloating capabilities of an apple, which would cause problems with their dresses. Apparently, the murderous looks were hereditary in the Carvajal family, just as the bad character ran in the Jauregui family. Obviously, the athlete had no choice other than surrender. "I'll bring the cucumber slices," she retreated into the kitchen. "Damn Mr. Cho and his soporific apples," she murmured to herself.

"Juliana!" So this was where the cowardly rats were hiding. "You better stop spoiling those women or they won't leave you alone!" Mike warned her, as he lifted a slice of pizza to his mouth. If his wife saw him eating in his good suit, she would kill him. The athlete ignored him and began to slice the cucumber.

"When Eva got married, we organised a game of golf, we should have done the same this time." Leon, who also had his good suit on, decided to share his 'wonderful' ideas about the occasion. Juliana looked at the knife she was holding and imagined the scene from Psycho in the bathroom, the music from the film beginning to play in her mind.

"There is still three hours before the wedding, we could go watch a movie or something," the youngest of the three came up with the next genius idea. "Our friend Juliana here has them all taken care of!" He laughed.

When the brunette was about to answer, she noticed something and quickly became outraged. Juliana could feel her anger building throughout her body. He, Mateo, had her sweet nectar in his hand, her most precious treasure, the only woman in her life who did not give her orders, who simply let her enjoy herself, who let her do whatever Juliana wanted with her. Eva's husband was drinking her precious Diet Coke. She couldn't bear it. "I'm sorry 'friend'," she took the bottle out of his hand, "but these bottles have a first and last name. You can grab anything else," she said and then left with a tray of sliced cucumbers in her hand.

~~~~~~

The athlete made sure everything was in order before going to bathe, Kara was watching Nemo, Lucia was enjoying her Martini, and Juliana had even gone to solve all of Camila's problems at Shane's house. The rest of the women were already made up, combed and almost ready to go, they only needed to put on their dresses. Lauren the white dress that, for one night, and one night only, was going to make her look like an angel. Valentina and Kara had their beautiful peach dresses and the rest of the guests wore their own clothes.

When Juliana got out of the shower and didn't hear any sounds, she was worried, but the sound that came shortly after made her understand the meaning of the phrase, 'the calm before the storm.' Heart-breaking cries came from the living room, the player could distinguish Valentina's and her daughter's, those two she knew by heart. And although she had only seen Lauren cry while drunk, she could also distinguish hers, the problem was that they were mixed with several others. As she put on a simple T-shirt and shorts to see what was going on, the screaming began, and what worried her now was that she could also distinguish male voices among them too. She moved quickly towards the dining room.

"I didn't say that you looked fat Eva, I just said that maybe you should stop eating so much."

 _'Of course, it had to be this guy!'_ The brunette said to herself as she watched as her future sister-in-law was becoming dehydrated from crying.

"THIS IS NOT THE MAKEUP I WANTED!" Lauren was torturing one of the makeup artists. "I LOOK LIKE THE BRIDE OF CHUCKY!" Juliana really needed to stop them watching horror movies, even though she loved how Valentina held on to her as they watched them.

"I LOOK LIKE A GIANT PEACH!" She had already heard that one. Valentina had said it hundreds of times already.

"AND I A SMALL PEACH!" If her mother cried how could mini-Val not. The brunette couldn't help but laugh imagining her daughter's face if she changed the kangaroo nickname to peach.

"LEON, I TOLD YOU TO PACK MY BLACK SHOES THESE ARE NAVY, LEON NAVY!" Wow, somehow that scenario made her think of President Bush’s conference when someone chucked a shoe at his head. But in this case Lucia did not miss. The shoe went straight for her husband's head.

"HOW HAVE YOU STAINED YOUR SHIRT ALREADY MIKE? YOU LOOK LIKE A FIVE YEAR OLD!" Juliana had seen that one coming. "AND NOW WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?" Everything was in complete chaos and needed urgent intervention.

"What's going on?" She had not finished entering the room when she had five women hanging from her, all talking at once and trying to grab on to any part of the brunette.

"I'M FAT!" "WE ARE THE PEACH FAMILY!" "I HAVE NO SHOES!" "MY HUSBAND IS A PIG!" "CALL CAMILA AND TELL HER THE WEDDING IS CANCELED!"

The last comment from the Latina was the one that made Juliana react, there was a wedding to attend and 'The Juliana Massacre Part II' had to come to an end as soon as possible. And if at the end of the movie Juliana kept the heroine, even better.

"Calm down... calm please... ladies... please," she asked softly without any success. "QUIET!" With that she had all the attention she wanted. "Let's see," she sighed. "Lucia, if I'm not mistaken, you are the same shoe size as Valentina, right?" The woman nodded. "Perfect! Because I think your daughter has black shoes that will be perfect with that beautiful dress, although I can assure you that no one is going to be looking at your feet tonight," the brunette winked at her mother-in-law.

"You are adorable," Lucia kissed the athlete's cheek before scurrying off towards Valentina's room.

"Mrs. Jauregui..."

"Call me Clara darling," Juliana was winning over her female audience one by one.

"Clara, I have several white shirts that I am sure Mr. Mike could use. If you follow Lucia you will find them in the closet," she explained.

"Lucia is right, you are a charm," another lipstick mark on her face.

Juliana knelt in front of the chair and rested both hands on Eva's knees, who somehow managed to keep crying. "Eva... listen to me," the girl looked at the brunette, "I assure you that you look beautiful," she declared.

"You're only saying that because you're my sister's girlfriend," she sobbed.

"I say it knowingly. This red dress not only highlights your beautiful figure, because I can assure you that when I saw you, I was like, WOW!" The player's face made the three Carvajal ladies who remained in the room laugh, "but it highlights your brown hair and your striking green eyes, and there is no way that you could look fat, on the contrary, with those curves you would stop traffic!" Eva left a mark on her other cheek as she kissed her in thanks.

"You are very lucky little sister," she told Valentina as she passed her, "I'm going to go touch up my makeup," she said and left the room.

The bride was next. Juliana approached her and took her hand. "Lauren Jauregui, I don't think I'll ever say this again, but at this moment millions and millions of people in this world must be wishing you were their guardian angel. Not only do you look beautiful, but the happiness in your eyes makes you even more radiant. You can't let the happiest day of your life be overshadowed by such a silly thing. Would you do me the honour of letting this lovely lady," she pointed to the makeup artist, "fix your makeup? I'm sure she can do better right?" She looked at her again and the woman nodded her head enthusiastically.

The Latina moved closer to Juliana and hugged her. "Lately I owe you a lot. I need to stop getting used to it. Thank you!" After another kiss on the cheek the bride returned to the makeup artist.

The best for last. Arms folded and pouting were her two favourite women, "I look like a baby peach!" The little girl squealed.

"And I look like a giant Peach!" Complained the older one.

Juliana shook her head, "Pooh Bear... The only peach you have is those cheeks, even I want to bite them," the athlete heard a giggle when she moved to bite one of her daughter's cheeks. "You are beautiful my darling!" She whispered. "So beautiful that I'm afraid that this woman here," she pointed to her girlfriend, "is jealous of your beauty! You're a little princess, like Ariel, or Jasmine, or Aurora from Sleeping Beauty." She knew her daughter would be content with that.

"Am I the prettiest Carvajal?" The little girl was excited.

"Hmm... there is a tie," she said, "although if you give me a kiss, the scale may tilt slightly in your favour!" The kiss did not take long to appear.

"I love you mommy, I'm going to touch up my makeup," she said.

"Okay hon... what? You're going to do what? Makeup? Kara! Come here!" The kangaroo was gone.

"Ahem..." the last Carvajal called her attention, "It's my turn, right?" She demanded.

"No. I don't want to say anything to you," she said, her expression hardening. When Valentina tried to leave, Juliana grabbed her arm and squeezed her tightly. "I don't want to say anything to you, I want to take this dress off you and make love to you right now. Over and over, not giving a damn that Lauren's grandmother is looking at me right now wanting to kill me." It was true. Ruth was watching her like a hawk. "Do you know what Lauren's worst mistake was?" She asked her blonde.

"What?" Valentina had already given in as soon as she heard the words 'make love.'

"Inviting you to her wedding," she sentenced. "You are going to steal all the attention; all eyes will be on you because your beauty is so strong that mere mortals cannot appreciate it. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to put up with all your ex-boyfriends, women and other men at the party looking at you, but I can put up with it as long as you promise me that you'll dance with me, even if it's just one song." Juliana got lost in the eyes of her girlfriend.

"I love you so much brunette. So, so, so much, that I can't control it anymore. I LOVE YOU!" In case her words were not clear she kissed her, unlike the others, was one was on the mouth. "I'm going to..."

"Touch up your makeup, I know," she kissed her again. "You might have to touch up your lips too." She winked. "Hey," she pulled her back. "Maybe one day we can add a little cream to the peach so that I can delight myself with a little dessert," she whispered.

"Nedafixmakup."

"I know I know. Makeup. Go!" She let her go.

When the brunette turned around, she found three men staring at her as if trying to work out what her secret was. "What can I say boys? I have a gift!" She winked at them and went to change, there was a wedding to attend.

** The Wedding **

When Camila and Lauren walked the long red carpet, it was difficult to decide which of the two was prettier, the only difference was that the dancer glided gracefully down the aisle, while Lauren was so nervous, she stumbled every so often. Valentina, who was coming after her, on more than one occasion had to pick up the bouquet that her friend's trembling hands could not hold. “I thought this was going to be a ‘piece of cake for Lauren Jauregui’,” the blonde whispered in her friend's ear the second time she handed her the flowers. The lawyer couldn’t even form an insult, the words simply would not come out.

The ceremony followed its normal rhythm, Camila made all the guests laugh with her vows, but Lauren had to ask Valentina to hold her page because her hands were trembling so much, she couldn't read it. To make matters worse, the Latina stuttered several times and by the middle of the speech she was already crying. And the chain reaction would start all over again, Lauren cried, Camilla cried, Valentina cried, Kara cried, Mariana and Shane cried and all the guests cried.

Juliana witnessed so many tears that, by the end of the Latina's vows, the brunette wondered if all the onions in Mrs. Cho's store would be enough to match this sea of tears. Juliana wasn't crying because she was insensitive or uncaring or anything like that, but if someone had asked her what the almost wives had just said... Juliana had no idea. Since she saw her girlfriend enter through the door, she could not stop looking at her, she followed every movement, every gesture, she did not miss when mother and daughter held hands looking for her brown eyes, nor did she miss the smile made by the blonde when Juliana blew her a kiss from her seat.

And when Valentina stood next to Lauren to hold her vows, the player watched as her girlfriend moved her mouth while silently reading the vows and Juliana imagined the day when Valentina would be reciting her vows. When she would become her wife, she imagined slipping a ring on to Valentina's finger, just as Camila was doing with Lauren now.

When Derek's voice boomed with a loud "LONG LIVE THE BRIDES," Juliana was startled out of her daydream. The first thing she did was catch her daughter who had ran straight for her, not giving a damn that she had a dress to take care of, jumping into the waiting arms of her mommy Juls.

"Did I do well?" Asked the little girl.

"Nobody passes the rings better than you kangaroo." In fact, mother and daughter had practiced the small participation of Kara several times.

"Juliana! Kara!" Shane was calling them. "They're looking for you for the photographs," she announced. And that was where they headed.

"We want a photo with Juls' legs!... I mean with Juls!" Camila corrected when she received a murderous look.

Juliana lowered her daughter from her arms and stood between the brides. "You both look beautiful," she told them, leaving a kiss on the cheek of each one. "It makes me very happy to witness the love you have for each other every day," she added while they were about to pose for the cameras.

"V, please think about it again, it's our wedding!" Lauren begged her friend.

"Yes, Valen, lend her to us for a little while. Lolo and I also want to test the beast," the dancer joined the request of her current wife.

"First, I want you to remove your hands from my girlfriend's butt and second, Juliana and I have just given you your honeymoon, you should be more than satisfied with that!... And I don't want any more protests!" She added.

While Valentina supervised the photos, the brunette approached her from behind. "Excuse me miss," she whispered in her ear. "Is there any possibility I could speak with the person in charge of organising the wedding? There is something that is bothering me," Juliana could see how goose bumps formed on her girlfriend's shoulders. "Can we talk about it after the photos in the dressing room?" She asked.

"CAN YOU STOP SAYING NAUGHTY THINGS AT MY WEDDING, IT’S PERVERTED! AND CAN WE PLEASE FINISH THE PHOTOS NOW? I NEED TO DRINK!" Of course, the Latina had to scream it out loud.

The athlete left a kiss on the left corner of Valentina's lip and left.

"STOP LOOKING AT THE SWEETIE’S BUTT AND PAY ATTENTION TO THE PHOTOS!" Mrs Jauregui-Cabello shouted again.

"Maybe if you’d been this brave when you came in, I wouldn't have had to pick your bouquet off the floor so many times, you idiot.” Valentina turned to face her. "Right... last photos!" The athlete was waiting for her.

~~~~~~

"It’s risky!" She said, separating from her girlfriend.

"For whom?" Juliana returned, looking at her girlfriend's mouth.

"Someone could find us," she put her arms out stopping the brunette.

"Let them, do you think that would stop me?" If Juliana had only used her words, perhaps Valentina would have been stronger, but once the athlete’s hands cupped and squeezed her breasts like they were her favourite toy, it was impossible to stop her.

"I thought you didn’t like this dress? Well, I'm doing you a favour," the brunette reasoned as she lowered the zip that would allow her to reach her girlfriend's nipples with her mouth.

"SHIT JULIANA!" Valentina tried to contain herself, she tried to close her mouth, she tried to stifle her moans, she knew they would only drive her girlfriend even crazier.

The brunette looked at her smiling. "Are you sure you will be able to hold them for so long?” she asked. The player knew what her girlfriend was doing. "I guess we’ll find out," she grabbed one of Valentina's legs and raised it until it surrounded her waist. "I don't know how you do it," her hand began to slip past the barriers of the dress, "but I want to have you like this all the time. One look from you and you have me crazy Valentina, do you hear me? Crazy," the brunette's fingers were already playing with the centre of her girl. "Come on, tell me, I know you want it, tell me." Juliana wanted to hear that voice that drove her crazy.

"ENTER ONCE AND FOR ALL!" And there was, the brunette got exactly what she wanted, and with a single movement she managed to end her girlfriend’s vow of silence. Valentina’s moans could not be contained.

~~~~~~

"May I know where you were?" Valentina had just reached her reserved chair next to Lauren.

"Having sex with Juliana," she simply said.

"I knew it! You owe me twenty dollars Lauren!" Mariana was celebrating her victory.

"And where is Juls?" Asked the dancer looking at the brunette's empty chair.

"I left her locked in the dressing room. Give her fifteen minutes to calm down and someone can go open it..."

"I'M GOING!" Mariana, Lauren and Camila all shouted at the same time.

"No, you three stay! Derek will go." The blonde gave a new order.

~~~~~~

 ** _Ding, Ding, Ding!_** Kara tapped her cutlery on the glass as her mom had taught her, to get everyone’s attention.

"Hello everyone!" She greeted once she had the attention of all the guests. "I am Kara Carvajal. Daughter of Valentina and that lady who is entering the room at this moment..." she pointed to Juliana, "because my aunt Lolo says she's perverted and they had to lock her up, although I don't know what that means."

Juliana gave an exaggerated wave, like Forrest Gump waving to Jenny from the boat, while Valentina slumped slightly in her chair, totally mortified. "But I am also one of my aunt Lolo's bridesmaids. And since my aunt Lolo has been driving me crazy for over an hour asking me to hurry up and make my toast, so she can go get drunk, I'm going to talk now.”

 ** _Ding, Ding, Ding!_** Lauren hit the glass this time. "I want to clarify that the facts are not as the treacherous little rat is telling you. I just wanted the speeches over so we could start the party," she sat down.

 ** _Ding, Ding, Ding!_** Valentina stepped in to defend her daughter. "Besides, Lauren has already been drunk for more than two hours," she sat down.

 ** _Ding, Ding, Ding!_** Lauren touched her glass again. "At least I wasn’t having sex in the dressing room at the wedding," she sat down.

 ** _Ding, Ding, Ding!_** Valentina spoke, "No, instead you and Camz preferred to do it in the bathroom at Eva's wedding," the blonde answered.

 ** _Ding, Ding, Ding!_** This time Camila was the one who tapped her glass, "And it was several times!" She added.

 ** _Ding, Ding, Ding!_** "CAN I CONTINUE?" The character of the kangaroo came to light. The other three women sat down. "Thank you!" The little girl took a breath. "Aunt Lolo and Aunt Camz, when I asked my mother what love was, she tried to explain it to me in different ways. She even read the what the dictionary said," the face that the little girl made caused everyone to laugh. "We Googled the word and she read me a poem that I can't remember. Finally, she let me call Grandma Lucia to see if she and Grandpa Leon could come up with a better way to explain it to me," again everyone laughed. "When I was still trying to understand what it meant, you arrived at our house holding hands," she pointed to her aunts, "and my mother looked at me and said 'That's love. The way your aunts look at each other is love.' And from that moment I knew what it was."

Everyone in the room looked in awe at the beautiful little girl.

"Well, as my mommy Juls says in her _Lesson #41,_ if a woman talks for a long time, people stop paying attention to what she is saying and look at her breasts instead, and because I don't want you to look at me, I'm going to stop talking. CONGRATULATIONS!" She raised her glass of soda and then sat down.

 ** _Ding, Ding, Ding!_** Juliana got up from her table. "Kangaroo, remind me that the next lesson you need to learn is when to say things and when not to!" She sat down again.

 ** _Ding, Ding, Ding!_** "Okaymommy," she answered.

 ** _Ding, Ding, Ding!_** This time Valentina intended to speak honestly. "Hello, I'm Valentina, Lauren's other bridesmaid," Juliana's whistle made everyone laugh and Valentina's blush deepen. "I've known Lauren and Camila since pre-school and I can assure you that these two have loved each other since Lauren pushed one of our classmates off the slide because she stole Camila's place in the queue. I have shared many sad moments with them, like when Lauren and I moved to New York and they were separated for a whole year because Camz had to finish high school. But I've also witnessed her best days, one of them, the day Camz was finally able to join us in this city. I know you have worked hard to get to this moment together and I thank God for being able to share it with you. Not only did they teach my daughter the meaning of love but they also taught me." Valentina met the eyes of her friends. "I adore you both! HEALTH FOR THE LADIES JAUREGUI-CABELLO!" She raised her glass.

"HEALTH!" They all answered.

~~~~~~

"You throw yours to Valen and I'll throw mine to Juls," said the dancer.

"Easy for some, you get the basketball player, while I get the clumsy blonde?!" Lauren answered.

"Lauren, your cousins are going crazy for the bouquets. Look at them!" When the Latina looked at her cousins' table, she realised that the women were stretching and getting warmed up for the event.

"It will be impossible for them to hold on to both bouquets," Mariana said.

"First of all, we need to try and separate them," the girls looked at the centre of the dance floor where Valentina and Juliana were dancing closer and closer together.

"You have to do it before they lock themselves in the dressing room again." Sam was the one chosen to rescue the brunette for the second time that night.

"THE BOUQUETS!" Lauren shouted causing a great commotion among the women who were shoving each other while fighting to get the best position.

Meanwhile the couple danced as if in their own little bubble, unaware of what was happening around them.

"I love you," Juliana said looking straight into her favourite blue eyes. _WHOOSH!_ A bouquet passed by them and several Jauregui were fighting over it.

"I love you," Valentina answered and then caught her girlfriend's mouth with hers. _WHOOSH!_ Camila's flowers passed near the blonde's shoulder.

"IT'S MINE!" One of Lauren's cousins came out limping with the bouquet in her hand.

"You know what I think?" Lauren asked her group of friends who were watching the athlete and the photographer sway to the music. "I don't think those two even need the bouquet." The friends all nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, this one took a while to translate! There were soooo many movie references. (I love movies but I had to cut a few of them out!)  
> Juls is awesome! 😍

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you are still enjoying this story. It doesn't seem to be getting a lot of love lately but I am trying to keep going with the translating anyway. It is definitely one of my favourites. I always come away from this story smiling.
> 
> Please leave a comment and let me know if you are enjoying it.
> 
> twitter and tumblr - @dotdwizard 👠👠
> 
> Other fics I've been translating...
> 
> ❤️ 'I will fill your Days with Life'  
> ❤️ 'Once Upon a Blog...'  
> ❤️ It'll be Fun!
> 
> Currently helping @macareynolds translate  
> ❤️ Perfectly of of Key
> 
> Dot xx
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 
> I want to clarify again that I did not write this story - it is not mine, the original story is from the author 'Alllove'
> 
> This my translation of the adaption by @Queens_JV on Wattpad (who gave me permission To translate it to English!) all credits go to both talented writers.


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